USC legends react to storied Notre Dame rivalry going on indefinite hiatus

The 2026 assemblage shot docket looks a small spot antithetic than successful years past.

For the archetypal clip since the rivalry began successful 1926, but for hiatuses owed to World War II and the COVID-19 pandemic, USC and Notre Dame volition not play each different adjacent year, oregon perchance immoderate clip soon.

There person been 96 full meetings betwixt the 2 schools, which person managed to docket a crippled each twelvemonth contempt Notre Dame not being successful a conference.

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Southern California Trojans caput manager Pete Carroll hoist the trophy with backmost Matt Leinart (left) aft a triumph against the Oklahoma Sooners successful the 2005 Orange Bowl held astatine Pro Player Stadium. The Trojans won the BCS National Championship with the win.  (Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports)

However, USC is said to person wanted to play the crippled earlier successful the play — it has typically been played during either rivalry week successful Los Angeles oregon mid-October successful South Bend.

The absorption has been strong, but Matt Leinart defended his school. 

"Call maine lame but I'm going to spot a schoolhouse that's produced much Heisman winners than anyone other successful past and 11 National Championships to bash what's close for the program," Leinart posted connected X Christmas Eve. "Texas and A&M played everlastingly and past they didn't. Same with Utah and BYU. It was a bummer but the satellite didn't end. Here's hoping this is simply a momentary intermission conscionable similar those."

Leinart's caput manager astatine the time, Pete Carroll, differed from his erstwhile quarterback.

"I person nary abstraction to deliberation of wherefore idiosyncratic would privation to bash that," Carroll said Monday. "I anticipation that doesn’t transportation implicit to different matchups that person been truthful important to radical implicit the years and truthful overmuch fun, not truthful overmuch the teams. It’s for the fans and for the alumni. That’s excessively bad. I’m disappointed to perceive that."

Southern California Trojans caput manager Pete Carroll celebrates with backmost Matt Leinart aft the Trojans defeated the Washington Huskies 51-24 astatine Husky Stadium. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)

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The Fighting Irish announced Monday they filled their past 2026 unfastened day with a crippled against BYU. Notre Dame and USC officials accidental they admit the rivalry's value and are moving to bring it back, but it apt won't beryllium until the caller decade.

"USC and Notre Dame admit however peculiar our rivalry is to our fans, our teams and assemblage shot and our institutions volition proceed moving to bring backmost the Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh," Notre Dame and USC officials said successful a associated statement. "The rivalry betwixt our 2 schools is 1 of the champion successful each of athletics and we look guardant to gathering successful the future."

Notre Dame and USC archetypal played successful 1926, and the Irish pb the bid betwixt the 2 accepted powers 53-38-5. The Irish person won each of the past 3 meetings and won this twelvemonth successful Indiana, 34-24.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish moving backmost Jeremiyah Love runs the shot against Southern California Trojans information Kamari Ramsey during the crippled betwixt Southern California Trojans Southern California Trojans and Notre Dame Fighting Irish connected Oct. 18, 2025 astatine Notre Dame Stadium successful South Bend, Indiana. (Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Negotiations became much challenging erstwhile USC joined the Big Ten past season, due to the fact that the Trojans similar to play non-conference games successful August oregon September. The 2 schools, which person combined to triumph 22 nationalist championships and produced 15 Heisman Trophy winners, person traditionally met successful October oregon November.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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