Notre Dame-USC - A Storied Past, A Future In Doubt

As the greatest intersectional rivalry in all of college sports nears its 100th iteration, fans across the nation wait with bated breath for news of its future.

Photo Via Notre Dame Athletics

The cross-country rivalry between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Trojans of Southern California has garnered the attention of fans across the nation. Over its nearly 100 games, this college football duo has cemented its legend through a mix of individual program success, classic head-to-head showdowns, all-time great players, and a nearly 100-year history chock-full of historical relevance.

With the onset of the 12-team CFP and a massive wave of conference realignment, rumblings about the future of Notre Dame-USC have emerged. Initially, the rumor was written off as hyperbole and clickbait, but as the inaugural season of the 12-team playoff progressed and USC played its first season in the BIG 10, it became clear that the sport’s new landscape and shifting reality had indeed affected negotiations for the matchup’s future schedule. The two sides remain at odds and have yet to find a way to bridge the gap and sign a multi-year home-and-home deal. While we await a new, long-term agreement, the Irish Tribune is taking a retrospective look at football’s greatest intersectional rivalry to shed light on its Origins, historical significance, how things got to this point, and what the future may hold.

Origins

The rivalry’s roots date all the way back to the mid-1920s, long enough to partially obscure its true origins, becoming part myth and part fact. The most famous account credits the wives of both Rockne and USC Athletic Director Gwynn Wilson with brokering the deal. It’s said that during Notre Dame’s 1925 game against Nebraska on a chilly Thanksgiving Day, the ladies met and matched the plan, ensuring they wouldn’t have to spend late winters in the cold Midwest and could use sunny California as a kind of cold-weather relief. As a bonus, both schools would also secure a major opponent with a brand on the rise. This is arguably the most commonly reported origin for the rivalry, but certainly not the only one.

A more complex and nuanced start to the classic matchup seems to apply a more historical, political, and financial lens to the situation, revealing a possible alternative origin. 

Notre Dame’s position within the sport leading up to its first scheduling agreement with a West Coast school may have played an outsized role in its path to meeting USC. At the time, the largest and most influential conference in the sport was the Western Conference (Now the BIG 10), but the Irish found themselves at odds with the organization. Then head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, Fielding Yost, lobbied the Western Conference’s members to ban playing Notre Dame for various reasons, some of which were revealed and some unspoken. First and foremost, Yost was an avowed anti-immigrant and anti-catholic advocate, and the Fighting Irish - led by a Norwegian immigrant at a Catholic University comprised of Irish, Italian, and German Catholics was a shining bastion of everything Yost despised. Compounding these factors was that Yost had been Michigan’s head coach in 1909 when they lost for the very first time against the Irish. Shortly after the shocking defeat, an embarrassed Yost erroneously complained that two Notre Dame players were “ineligible” and refused to schedule the small Indiana school again. 

Yost went on to lobby the rest of the Western Conference to blackball the Irish from their schedules and from joining the conference, even beyond his coaching days and into his time as Michigan’s Athletic Director. The strained relationship was instrumental in keeping the schools from reuniting, all the way until 1940. It was precisely because of this blackballing from the regional powerhouse conference that forced the Irish on their most influential and formative journey - their national “barnstorming” scheduling campaign. 

This scheduling strategy transformed the program’s brand from a small Midwest fan base into a national sensation. Yost’s prejudice and cowardice, combined with Rockne’s innovation and perseverance, are largely considered the primary reasons Notre Dame became independent. They were forced to schedule all over the country, and became the only team in college football to expand their fan base to major cities outside their immediate general area, like Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York, truly making them “America’s Team.” More specifically, this trajectory set Notre Dame on a path right for the Trojans of Southern California. 

As Notre Dame began winning marquee matchups with teams like Army, Navy, Pitt, Texas, Rice, Yale, and Nebraska, teams across the country began to notice. Some BIG 10 teams like Indiana, Northwestern, and Purdue broke the scheduling embargo with the Irish, and other schools across the country began considering Notre Dame as a potential opponent. Reportedly, that’s around the time both Rockne and the administration began to see the value in playing a west-coast team every year and a trip to sunny California every other year.

Things really began progressing when the Rose Bowl Committee invited Rockne’s (10-0) 1924 National Championship team to play a Pacific Coast Conference (eventually the PAC 12) opponent on New Year’s Day. Additionally, Notre Dame’s West Coast Alumni Association attempted to convince Rockne to make the Rose Bowl trip an annual affair. At the same time, USC reached out privately to let Notre Dame know they were interested. Apparently, Rockne and the Irish administration hoped to play the Trojans, but Stanford was that year’s Pacific Coast Conference Champion, and they got first right of refusal to play the Irish. The Cardinal elected to take the game, but fell to Rockne’s boys (10-27). 

Following the 1924 Rose Bowl Game, USC apparently approached Rockne about taking over the Trojans’ program, but he ultimately used the opportunity to recommend his longtime friend, then head coach at the University of Iowa, Howard Jones. Ultimately, USC hired Jones, and the two coaches helped broker the initial home-and-home agreement to benefit financially and to raise each other’s profiles. 

The very first game in the nearly 100-year history of this rivalry came in 1926, a December 4th season-finale showdown in Los Angeles in front of nearly 75,000 fans. While the story of two wives hatching the perfect plan, or friendly coaching peers looking to elevate their program’s exposure, the rivalry’s true origin was likely a combination of LA’s attractive weather, Notre Dame’s local scheduling difficulty, Rockne and Jones’ personal relationship, Fielding Yost’s religious discrimination, and mutual financial incentives. Regardless, Irish and Trojan fans alike have many people to thank for this series.

Early Period (1926-1951)

Notre Dame took the first two games of the new rivalry in 1926 and 1927 before USC won its first bout in 1928, en route to its first-ever national championship. 

The following year, Notre Dame defeated USC at Soldier Field in front of over 110,000 fans for one of the largest recorded attendances in college football history. That wind propelled the Irish to their second national title in 1929. Notre Dame steamrolled USC (27–0) in their 1930 match-up, en route to a second consecutive national title (3rd all-time) and what would end up being Knute Rockne’s final coaching appearance. Tragically, the man credited with starting the rivalry only got to see five head-to-heads, although he ended his coaching career with a (4–1) record over the Trojans.

Following Rockne’s death, USC won three straight games against the Irish, two of which came in South Bend. Notre Dame wouldn’t win their next game over the Trojans until 1934. After another win in 1935, Notre Dame tied USC for the first time in the series history in 1936 with a (13–13) stalemate. 

In 1938, Elmer Layden and the #1 Irish were a perfect (8–0) heading into their final game of the season in Los Angeles against the #8 USC. In one of the most remembered upsets early in the series, the Trojans shut out the Irish (13–0) in front of nearly 100,000 fans, spoiling Notre Dame‘s likely national championship season. In 1939, the #4 Trojans beat the Irish once again, this time outlasting them (20–12). The win propelled USC to its 4th national championship.

Notre Dame really began to turn things around against the Trojans in Elmer Layden’s final season as head coach in 1940. The Irish outlasted USC (10–6) before all-time great Notre Dame head coach Frank Leahy arrived at the university in 1941. Leahy led the Irish to back-to-back wins over USC in 1941 and 1942, extending Notre Dame‘s current win streak to three. For the first time since the series began in 1926, the rivalry was put on hiatus due to the outbreak of World War II, and no game was played from 1943 to 1945. 

The series resumed in 1946, with the Irish trouncing the Trojans (26–6) in South Bend on their way to the program’s 5th national title and 2nd under Leahy.  The following year in 1947, the Irish beat up on USC again, this time (38–7) en route to their 2nd consecutive National Title and the 6th in program history. The win became Notre Dame‘s 5th straight, and marked the largest one-sided streak in the rivalry’s history up to that point.

The series’ 2nd tie came in 1948, ending Notre Dame’s 21-game unbeaten/untied streak. #1 Notre Dame took control in 1949 with a (32–0) shutout in South Bend before winning their 4th National Title under Leahy and the program’s 7th. 1950 saw USC’s first win since 1939, just outlasting the Irish (9–7). The win gave USC its 300th all-time victory while Notre Dame concluded a disappointing (4-4-1) season, the worst mark under Frank Leahy. The Irish responded once again in 1951 with a win, before the series underwent a significant change. 

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A New Path - The Jeweled Shillelagh Trophy

After 23 games in the series, a trophy was commissioned by the Notre Dame Alumni Club of Los Angeles to commemorate the rivalry and reward the game’s winner. As a nod to history and tradition, the alumni club chose a shillelagh, an ancient Irish war club, to exemplify the matchup’s competitiveness and Notre Dame’s Irish heritage, stating “This shillelagh will serve to symbolize in part the high tradition, the keen rivalry, and above all the sincere respect which these two great universities have for each other.”

The club was to be made from either oak or blackthorn saplings straight from Ireland, and would be adorned with an emerald for a Notre Dame win, and a ruby for a USC win. In the event of a tie, a dual shamrock/Trojan head would be added to the shillelagh. It was also decided to retroactively add gemstones for the 23 previous bouts, along with an engraved inscription on the club’s foot stating “From the Emerald Isle.”

Following USC’s 1996 win, Notre Dame declined to hand over the original trophy, citing that the club no longer had enough space to add new medallions. Thus, the first club was officially retired to be displayed in South Bend, and the Notre Dame Alumni Club of Los Angeles commissioned a new, larger shillelagh. It was crafted from a blackthorn sapling from County Leitrim, Ireland, and inlaid with gold by Images Jewelers of Elkhart, Indiana.

Jeweled Shillelagh Period (1952-Present)

Notre Dame won the inaugural year of the Jeweled Shillelagh trophy in 1952, ruining USC’s until then perfect season. The Irish followed it up with wins in 1953 and 1954 to extend the program’s current win  streak over the Trojans to four straight. 

USC turned things around in the series with back-to-back wins in 1955 and 1956 before the Irish went on a five-game win streak between 1957 and 1961. Although Notre Dame saw success against USC specifically during this time, the program faced relative mediocrity, not having won more than eight games since 1955 or a championship since 1949.

Both sides traded wins back-and-forth, with USC winning in 1962, along with a national championship, and again in 1964, while the Irish and then-head coach Ara Parseghian won in 1963 and 1965. The 1964 Notre Dame loss to USC was a heartbreaking (17–20) defeat that marked the only blemish on 1st-year head coach Ara Parseghian’s résumé. The Irish were 11-point favorites, partly due to having the eventual Heisman winner, John Huarte, at quarterback. The game was low scoring and tight until the Trojans scored the go-ahead touchdown with under two minutes left to play, and the Irish were unable to mount a comeback. It was a devastating end to an otherwise perfect first season for Parseghian and caused the Irish to miss out on the consensus national championship.

1966 marked a few notable changes in the rivalries’ trajectory. Notre Dame entered the game undefeated with one tie against #2 Michigan State in what many consider one of the greatest college football ties of all time. USC was no slouch, entering at (7-2) and at #10 in the rankings. While the Irish were favorites, no one was prepared for what was to come. In his only collegiate start, Notre Dame’s backup quarterback, Coley O’Brien, stunned the Trojans with three passing touchdowns while the Irish defense clobbered USC‘s offense, returning two interceptions for touchdowns. Not only did the Irish hang 51 points, but the defense completely embarrassed USC’s offense, and the team made up for tying Michigan State the week before with what still stands as Notre Dame’s biggest win over USC. Notre Dame went on to earn the consensus national championship, Parseghian’s first and the program’s eighth. 

Well, Notre Dame‘s trajectory ended with the championship, so did their success in their series with USC for the foreseeable future. Over the next six years, Parseghian and the Irish would go (0-4-2) from 1967 to 1972. During that period, the Trojans would win national titles in 1967 and 1972, bringing their total to seven, just one behind Notre Dame. The only saving grace for the Irish was that both ties in 1968 and 1969 spoiled an otherwise perfect USC season, and twice kept them from a National Title, preventing the Trojans from overtaking them all time.

Things changed for Parseghian and the Irish in 1973. They had won four straight games to start the season and had risen to #8 when they welcomed (5-0-1) #6 USC to South Bend. The Trojans were raining national champions, and we’re riding a 23-game win streak they hoped to continue. They were led by Hall of Famers Anthony Davis and Lynn Swann, while the Irish were led by Tom Clements, Eric Penick, and Wayne Bullock. Notre Dame held a (13–7) lead heading into halftime. Early in the third quarter, Penick took a routine handoff to the outside and stunned everyone. He quickly broke two tackles and bounced outside, further shedding one more would-be tackler before flying down the sideline for an 85-yard touchdown that put the Irish up (20–7). Despite a touchdown from Lynn Swann, the Irish knocked in a late field goal and held the Trojans scoreless in the fourth to leave with a close (23–14) win. It capped off a perfect, undefeated, and untied season and was the first time Parseghian had beaten USC since 1966.  Notre Dame went on to earn the 1973 consensus national title, the program‘s ninth and Parseghian‘s third.

Characteristically, USC responded with success, winning three straight against Notre Dame from 1974–1976, including their eighth national title, drawing within just one of the Irish yet again. 

Third-year Notre Dame head coach Dan Devine had lost his first matchup to all-time great USC head coach John McKay, and lost to first-year head coach John Robinson the following year, but 1977 was different. Once again, the #11 Irish hosted #5 USC in South Bend for a midseason heavyweight bout. Notre Dame was (4-1) while the Trojans were (5-1), and many favored USC to win it all, even on the road. Little did anybody know, Devine had sent the team out for pregame warm-ups in their traditional blue jerseys, but when they returned to their locker room prior to kickoff, the team found emerald green jerseys hanging in each of their lockers. Pumped up and clad in green, Notre Dame returned to the field with their surprising uniform, followed by a Trojan horse filled with university students. The stage was set for an epic clash.

Notre Dame held USC scoreless in the first quarter and struck first with a touchdown. USC responded with a fumble recovery for a score in the second quarter, but the Irish added two more touchdowns before halftime to take a (22–7) lead. Things didn’t change after the half, as Notre Dame once again held the Trojan scoreless in the third quarter while adding a touchdown off a blocked punt courtesy of Ted Burgmeier and another passing touchdown from Joe Montana to Ken MacAfee. Montana had led the Irish to 28 unanswered points, and Notre Dame walked away with an astonishing (49–19) statement victory. It would become known as “the green jersey game“ and would go down in program history as one of Notre Dame‘s greatest wins over their fiercest rival. Following this game, Notre Dame would go on to win six straight games and earn the consensus 1977 national championship, capped off by a (38-10) Cotton Bowl win over Texas.

Following Dan Devine’s lone National Title, USC would win 5 straight over the Irish from 1978-1982, three of which were losses by just one score. Shockingly, between the years of 1962–1978, Notre Dame and USC combined for a ridiculous eight National Titles. 

Things returned to Notre Dame‘s favor in 1983 when third-year head coach Gerry Faust led the Irish to a (27-6) home victory over the Trojans. From that point on, Faust won three straight meetings over USC until 1986, when first-year head coach Lou Holtz took over. The Irish fought back from a 17-point deficit in the 4th quarter, scoring 18 unanswered points, including a time-expiring field goal to win (38-37). Holtz followed up his first game against the Trojans with another win in 1987, this time on the back of over 350 rushing yards with a more comfortable (26–15) margin. 

In 1988, #1 Notre Dame entered its annual contest with #2 USC, looking to cap off their season with a statement to secure a trip to the National Title. For the first time in the rivalry’s history, both sides entered the matchup undefeated, but with the game in LA, Notre Dame was considered the underdog. The Irish jumped out to an early lead with 2 first-quarter rushing touchdowns, with one coming via a 65-yard Tony Rice scramble that gave him his 9th rushing score of the season. The score made Rice the first QB since Irish legend Paul Hornung in 1956 to lead the team in rushing. The Irish defense piled on, scoring on a pick-six, and forced 4 USC turnovers to put the Trojans away (27-10). The win secured Notre Dame’s shot at the championship against #3 West Virginia, where the Irish held on to beat the Mountaineers (34–21). It was Holtz’s first National Title, Notre Dame‘s 11th, and the program’s first since 1977. 

Notre Dame continued their winning streak into 1989, rising to #1 in the polls along with 18 straight wins. They welcomed #9 USC to South Bend in late October and were favored to win the game, but tensions boiled over prior to the game’s start with a full-scale brawl. After being separated, the Trojans shocked the home crowd by taking a (17–7) halftime lead until Notre Dame mounted a second-half comeback. Ricky Waters and Anthony Johnson put up back-to-back rushing touchdowns to take the first Irish lead of the day, but USC responded midway through the fourth quarter with a passing touchdown to retake the lead. Everything came down to Notre Dame‘s final drive of the game, where Tony Rice tucked and ran for a game-winning touchdown to seal a (28–24) win.

From 1990 to 1993, Holtz led the Irish to four more wins, extending their win streak to 11 straight. That is until 1994, when a downtrodden (6-5-1) Notre Dame team played the last and final tie in series history, a (17-17) draw against USC in Los Angeles. 

In 1995, Holtz and the #17 Fighting Irish hosted undefeated #5 USC, who was amidst a six-game win streak. Trojan wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson talked a lot of trash heading into the matchup, but the underdog Irish defense had the last laugh. USC‘s offense was held to just 10 points as the Irish cruised to a (38–10) victory, spoiling the Trojans’ National Title hopes. 

Unfortunately, 1996 was when Notre Dame‘s luck ran out. A struggling (5-6) USC team hosted (8-2) #10 Notre Dame, and the game was neck and neck from the jump. The Trojans began by kicking back-to-back field goals in the first quarter before Notre Dame took the lead with a touchdown just before halftime. The Irish added another 7 points to extend their lead to (14-6) as the fourth quarter began. Both sides traded scores in the fourth, but Notre Dame missed the PAT to leave the lead at just 8. All it took was a late USC touchdown drive and a two-point conversion to send the game into OT. Unfortunately, for the Irish, USC struck first in overtime with a 5-yard passing touchdown and stole the game (27–20). It was USC‘s first win over the Irish in 13 years, and Holtz‘s first loss to Southern Cal. Between 1983 and 1995, Notre Dame went (12-0-1) against the Trojans, along with the 1988 Title.

Modern Period (2000-Present)

The 2000s began with back-to-back Notre Dame wins. First, the Irish beat USC (38–21) in 2000 to earn their very first BCS bowl game invitation. In 2001, Bob Davie beat first-year head coach Pete Carroll (27–16).

2002 began the start of 8-straight wins for the Trojans, all led by Pete Carroll. USC beat Notre Dame (44-13) in 2002, led by Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer and future NFL Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu. 

2005 is widely considered one of the greatest head-to-head matchups in the rivalry’s history. First-year head coach Charlie Weis faced off against Pete Carroll‘s powerhouse Trojans, led by back-to-back Heisman Trophy winners Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. Notre Dame’s Brady Quinn and Jeff Samardzija lead the outmatched Irish in their signature green and gold jerseys. The game was back-and-forth until the end, with Brady Quinn sneaking into the end zone to put the Irish up (31-28) with less than two minutes left to play. 

The Trojans had one more opportunity and worked the ball down the field and into the red zone. Threatening, Leinart scrambled towards the goal and lunged, fumbling the ball out of bounds while the clock ticked down to zero. It sent a wave of Irish fans onto the field in celebration, but it was called back after officials ruled there was time left on the clock. 0:07 seconds were added back, and the Trojans lined up in goal line formation. Once again, Trojan quarterback Matt Leinart kept the ball and dove behind his line, but his forward progress was halted, that is, until Reggie Bush, of all players, illegally shoved his quarterback from behind and into the end zone. The controversial and illegal play gave USC a (34–31) victory and went down in the history books as one of the best and most highly criticized games in the rivalry’s history. 

Just two years later in 2007, Pete Carroll and the Trojans once again beat up on Charlie Weis and the Fighting Irish (38–0). It was the 30th anniversary of Notre Dame‘s classic 1977 green jersey game, but the crushing defeat became USC‘s largest margin of victory in Series history, a mark that stands to this day.

2010 saw USC‘s 8-straight win streak end, with Pete Carroll now in the NFL and first-year head coach Brian Kelly leading the Irish. Notre Dame went on to win (20–16), led by a fourth-quarter touchdown drive to take the lead and sealed with a late-game Harrison Smith interception. It would be Notre Dame‘s first win over the Trojans since 2001.

USC responded in 2011 with a (31–17) win at Notre Dame, their 5th straight win in South Bend. 

2012 saw an unranked Notre Dame sent to the #1 spot in the polls while season-opening #1 USC fell out of the top 25 altogether heading into the matchup. It was Brian Kelly’s third year with the program, and the Irish were undefeated, with only the Trojans between them and a national title berth. The Irish were led by Heisman Trophy contender Manti Teo, who reeled in an interception and was instrumental in a game-winning goal-line stand that helped the Irish grind out a (22–13) victory.  Over 16 million viewers tuned in for what went down as the most-watched football game on ABC since 2006. 

In 2017, #13 Notre Dame hosted #11 USC for a primetime matchup in South Bend. The Trojans fumbled the ball on their first play of the game and began an Irish onslaught that USC still has not forgotten. The Trojans went on to turn the ball over three times, while the Irish offense racked up 377 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. Notre Dame great Josh Adams plowed ahead for 191 yards and three touchdowns himself while QB Brandon Winbush added another 106 yards and two touchdowns on the ground and two through the air. Notre Dame walked away with a statement (49-14) win.

For the 2018 season, Notre Dame traveled out to Los Angeles for the season finale (11–0) and ranked #3 in the country. Simultaneously, the Trojans were amidst a disappointing (5–6) campaign, but were looking to add just one more win to earn bowl eligibility. USC came out swinging and took an early (10–0) lead, putting Ian Book and the Irish on their heels. Thankfully, Notre Dame responded with 24 unanswered points and ultimately walked away with a tight (24–17) win. 

In 2023, Marcus Freeman and the Irish hosted Lincoln Riley and reigning Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams in South Bend. USC was undefeated and ranked at #10 in the polls, while the Irish were (5-2) and just #21. With everything stacked against them, the Irish came out swinging, led by their high-flying defense. By the end of the game, Williams had tossed three interceptions, and the team had combined for five turnovers, which resulted in an embarrassing (48–20) Irish victory. Notre Dame’s own Xavier Watts was the player of the game after reeling in two interceptions and scoring on a fumble recovery. USC’s defeat marked their fifth straight loss in South Bend and helped Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman get back on track after losses to Louisville and Ohio State. 

The most recent matchup between these two saw (6-5) USC host (10-1) #5 Notre Dame in Los Angeles. Third-year head coach Marcus Freeman was (1-1) all-time against USC, losing his first matchup in 2022, but rebounded with a win in 2023. The Irish scored on their first possession of the game, compiling a 13-play 72-yard drive for the game’s first points. USC recovered an Irish fumble and scored on a short field, followed by a two-point conversion to take an (8–7) lead. Notre Dame missed a field goal but got the ball back from USC with under four minutes left to play in the 2nd quarter. They put together a 7-play 65-yard drive, culminating in a touchdown pass from Riley Leonard to Eli Raridon. USC responded quickly with a 78-yard drive of their own to tie things up (14-14) heading into halftime. 

Notre Dame struck first in the second half with a 36-yard breakaway from Jadarian Price to retake the lead. USC tied things up at (21-21) before Notre Dame scored 14 unanswered points to separate (35-21). USC capitalized on a short field at the start of the fourth quarter to cut Notre Dame’s lead back down to seven. After a quick punt from the Irish, USC began marching down the field, threatening to tie things up. That is, until Trojan QB Jayden Maiava was intercepted at the 1-yard line by Irish defensive back Christian Gray, who miraculously spun and maintained his balance as he reeled the ball in, returning it 99 yards for a touchdown. Now behind (28–42), USC became more aggressive through the air and quickly moved the ball back into Irish territory.  The Trojans move the ball all the way down to Notre Dame’s 13, but the Irish force a 4th & 6. Maiava once again tossed the ball towards the end zone, this time making its way into the hands of Xavier Watts, who one-upped his teammate Christian Gray with a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown, putting the Irish up (49–28) and sealing the game. Despite a late USC touchdown drive against Notre Dame’s reserves, the Irish held on to win (49–35) and yet another thrilling iteration of this classic rivalry. 

Two Storied Programs

Over the course of these 95 matchups, these two programs have combined for some absurd statistics. Between the two of them, they’ve combined for 22 national championships, tied for 3rd all-time. Between 1928 and 1932 alone, Notre Dame and USC combined to win 5 straight National Titles. The Irish hold 4th place on the all-time wins list with 962, while USC sits in 11th place with 882. Notre Dame leads USC by 80 wins, with the Irish maintaining 4th place in the all-time record standings at (.731) while USC ranks 8th at (.694). Both programs are neck and neck in the most weeks spent at AP #1, with Notre Dame in 4th at 98 weeks and USC just behind at 5th with 91 weeks. 

While these are two of the most successful programs in college football history, they each have an equally rich tradition of individual talent and pedigree, full of legendary players. Prior to the Trojans’ Caleb Williams winning the 2022 Heisman trophy, the two schools were tied at first with 7 Heisman winners each. Williams’ award was USC‘s most recent, and earned them the new #1 ranking for most winners all time, just edging out Notre Dame with 8. Notre Dame leads USC in total consensus All-Americans, holding down the #1 spot with 110, while USC lags behind at 5th with only 84. The same goes for total NFL draft picks, as the Irish maintain the #1 spot with 538 players picked, but USC is close behind at 2nd with 534. Where the Trojans do beat the Irish is in total 1st-round NFL draft picks, maintaining the 2nd most all time with 86, while Notre Dame follows at 4th with 71. 

This rivalry has been incredibly competitive over the years, and the series has seen 32 win-streak swings since its inception. In the process, there have been numerous multi-game win streaks, and each program has had impressive periods of dominance. Notre Dame’s longest unbeaten/untied streak in the series began under head coach Gerry Faust and was continued by Lou Holtz, stretching from 1983 to 1993 with 11 straight wins. USC’s most prominent unbeaten/untied streak came during the Pete Carol era between 2002 and 2009 with 8 straight.

Love them or hate them, but Notre Dame and USC are two of the most historically significant, highest-performing, most consistent, and most culturally relevant programs in the sport’s history. This rivalry isn’t merely a clash of titans, but a battle of two wildly different philosophies: Notre Dame with an old-school, hard-nosed, smashmouth, Midwest approach, and USC with their flashy, Hollywood, showtime roots. Two diametrically opposed teams, Universities, and fan bases, but united by a passion and love for the same game.

A Future In Doubt

Now that we’ve fully examined the deep and rich history behind this marquee college football rivalry, we have full context regarding its future.

Concerns first began to grow when USC head coach Lincoln Riley was questioned about the annual series on the BIG 10’s 2024 media day and was largely noncommittal. He was quoted as saying there have been “a lot of teams that sacrifice rivalry games. I’m not saying that’s what’s going to happen, we get into this new conference. We’re going to learn about this as we go and what the right and best track is to winning a national championship.” These comments further worried Irish and Trojan fans alike.

Apparently, USC has concerns about the difficulty of its future schedules and the logistics of its complicated in-season travel. That’s a pretty rich excuse for a team from California that signed up to be a part of the Midwest’s most prominent conference and is possibly attempting to avoid playing a Midwest team that has been traveling across all corners of the country for well over 100 years.

Notre Dame has made it abundantly clear that they wish to continue the series, and their desire to do so has seen them pursue a long-term multi-year agreement. When recently asked about the complications in the series’ negotiations, Notre Dame‘s head coach Marcus Freeman said, “It’s a great rivalry for all of college football. If it was up to me, we would play them every single year for the rest of college football time.“

That seems to be where the disconnect is coming into play. The Trojans are currently playing nine Big Ten conference games each season, with talk of a BIG 10–SEC scheduling agreement that could complicate things further. Additionally, the fracturing of the Pac-12 conference means several of the Trojans’ common opponents and rivals are scattered out amongst new conferences. That leaves the annual match-up with Notre Dame in a very uncertain position. That’s anywhere from 9 to 11 games on USC’s yearly schedule, and adding Notre Dame as a long-term opponent would further lock them up logistically. Additionally, Notre Dame‘s recent success in the series and across the college football playoff has made them an even more formidable opponent, making the Trojans’ annual slate that much more difficult.

In a world where multiple losses will put a team’s college football playoff chances at risk, the Trojans are unwilling to add another high-performing blue-chip opponent onto their schedule if they don’t contractually have to. That would further explain USC’s hesitancy to lock up the Irish long-term. There seems to be a lot of desire on the Trojans’ behalf to keep their options open while the future of the CFP shakes out. It must be noted that head coach Lincoln Riley‘s recent lack of success and the program’s struggle to right their ship means the program is looking to make their postseason path easier, not more difficult. 

Unfortunately, this logic is easy to empathize with. And an underperforming squad with a huge brand name and an established tradition is looking to rebound from their recent struggles, and unfortunately, Notre Dame makes that more difficult. Regardless of your feelings about the matchup, these two are inarguably each other‘s greatest and most prominent rival. While there is always a place for a new and budding nemesis, like Notre Dame‘s recent 12-year Home and Home agreement with the Clemson Tigers, sacrificing arguably the greatest intersectional rivalry in the entire sports history to simplify and ease USC‘s path to the postseason is a shameful excuse. It’s a bit contradictory to advocate for your program’s success and brand of excellence while simultaneously skirting historic rivals to ease your path to victory. 

As of right now, the Irish are scheduled to play USC in South Bend for 2025 and Los Angeles for 2026, but there is nothing on the docket after that.

Hopefully, the proposed 14-team college football playoff format would allay USC’s concerns and not make this rivalry a casualty of college football’s new trajectory. Although it may seem biased, it seems abundantly clear that if this series lapses and an agreement is not reached, the blood will likely be on USC’s hands, not Notre Dame’s. Let’s all hope that both sides can come to some sort of middle ground and save this classic series from a sorry conclusion.

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