USC quarterback Jayden Maiava threw a pass under pressure against Notre Dame on October 18 in South Bend, Indiana. This scene showcased the intense rivalry between USC and Notre Dame.
USC coach Lincoln Riley expressed satisfaction with the arrangement to resume the Trojans’ annual rivalry game against Notre Dame without compromising their main priorities. The schools announced a new four-year series starting in 2030, with the first game at the Coliseum during Week 1 of the season. The following year, the match will take place at Notre Dame Stadium in Week 1. The games for 2032 and 2033 will be scheduled within the first three weeks of the season.
“We felt like the best thing for our program was to play this game early in the season,” Riley stated. “As I’ve said publicly, we’re a part of a conference. We have a conference schedule to answer to. We don’t make our own schedule, we don’t choose our own kickoff times. And so with that, we have much less flexibility and so it made more sense for us to play this game in a traditional nonconference window.”
Riley has faced criticism for allowing a prestigious rivalry series to lapse. He highlighted the challenge of playing Notre Dame amid a demanding Big Ten schedule, while Notre Dame, as an independent team, could arrange less demanding matches to bolster their College Football Playoff chances.
Despite these hurdles, both schools recognized the rivalry’s value, leading to the agreement announced on Monday. USC holds a 37-53-5 record against Notre Dame, omitting the 2005 victory later vacated due to NCAA sanctions. Riley has a 1-3 record against the Irish during his tenure. The teams compete for the Jeweled Shillelagh.
Riley noted the benefits of the series renewal: “I think this benefits everyone. I think this benefits USC. I think this benefits Notre Dame. I think this benefits college football. This is important. We know it’s important to our fan base, we know it’s important to alumni, we know it’s important to former players and coaches.”
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Iliana Limón Romero, the assistant managing editor for Sports at the Los Angeles Times, and Ryan Kartje, the USC beat writer, contributed to the report. Limón Romero has been with the paper since 2021 and has been involved in significant sports coverage. Kartje has covered USC since joining The Times and has a history with Fox Sports Wisconsin and the Bloomington Herald-Times.