After backing out of their traditional rivalry game with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish before the 2026 season, The USC Trojans have bowed to the pressure and agreed to start the rivalry once again.
Starting in 2030, the Trojans will once again attempt to prove that the weakness they showed when cancelling the game is not a true reflection of the entire program.
Many pundits made the assumption that Lincoln Riley, who left Oklahoma, after finding that the school had agreed to join the SEC, also had a hand in the dissolution of the rivalry with Notre Dame.
With the difficult Big Ten schedule ahead of USC in 2026, this was the perfect season for the schools to stop playing the game. While this made the Trojansâ schedule a bit easier, it left a massive hole in the schedule for the Irish. Who needed this game in addition to their Miami rematch from 2025 to have a legitimate schedule.
Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman were going to find a difficult challenge in finding a team at the level of USC to fill in. With many schools upset at the preferential treatment received by Notre Dame in the new playoffs contract. An agreement which guarantees Notre Dame a spot in the playoffs if they are ranked in the top 12 of the final rankings.
This is due to the immense popularity of Notre Dame. Both those who love them and those who love to root against them. With this leaving many teams angered, few were willing to take on Notre Dame. Especially this season when, by the looks of the preseason roster, Notre Dame has their best chance to win the national championship since their last title in 1988.
While not entirely on the level of USC, the BYU Cougars agreed to a hone and hone series with Notre Dame in which BYU will host the 2026 game in Provo, before returning to South Bend in 2027.
The biggest issue USC had with the rivalry was the placement of the game being in the middle of conference play for the Trojans. Something independent Notre Dame did not need to consider from their side.
The newly agreed upon four-game renewal states that Notre Dame will travel to Los Angeles to play on August 31, 2030, and USC will make the return trip to South Bend on August 30, 2031. While the dates for the 2032 and 2033 games are not yet known, it is confirmed that both games will take place within the first three weeks of the season. Giving the Trojans their desired result.
No matter how this game came back into being, it is a win for both universities and more importantly, the fans. With so many things happening in the sport of college football being completely anti-fan, it is nice to see a decision which makes things better. Rather than taking more yet again.
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