USC, Notre Dame football find common sense with bombshell talks to keep rivalry

After USC and Notre Dame football controversially decided to pause their storied rivalry game, it may be coming back.

The Los Angeles Times’ Ryan Kartje reported today in his Times of Troy newsletter that the Trojans and Irish are “in active discussions to resume play.”

“It’s not clear yet when the rivalry series will return or what the terms will be,” Kartje wrote. “A person familiar with the discussions not authorized to talk about them publicly told The Times that Notre Dame is now willing to discuss playing the game earlier in the season, which had previously been a sticking point.”

Despite this, as well as a reported optimism that a deal would come together, Kartje reported that it remains possible that, because of their respective schedules, they won’t play for the Jeweled Shillelagh again until 2030.

Following Kartje’s reporting, NBC Sports’ Nicole Auerbach added on X, formerly Twitter, that these talks aren’t so much ‘resuming’, because, from what she has heard, they “technically never stopped.”

Aside from the COVID-altered 2020 season, Notre Dame and USC had played each other every year 1946 to 2025. And before World War II paused the rivalry, they played annually from 1926 to 1942. In the 96 meetings, the Irish won 51, compared to the Trojans’ 37. The teams have also tied five times.

The rivalry, like several others, is a victim of the ever-changing landscape of college football. Specifically, after USC joined the Big Ten before the 2024 season, the Trojans have reportedly pushed for the game to be played earlier in the season, while Notre Dame, one of the last remaining independent programs, has wanted to keep it in October or November.

Whenever the game does return, Notre Dame will enter as the winner of 10 of the last 13 games, although two of those wins have technically been vacated.