The rivalry between the University of Notre Dame and the University of Southern California, once a staple of college football, has been dormant for several years. Dating back to 1926, the two programs met annually for decades, missing only the war years and the 2020 pandemic shutdown.
A new four-year agreement announced this week will bring the series back to life, beginning on August 31, 2030, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The following year, Notre Dame will host the contest on August 30, 2031, before the cycle continues.
A revived rivalry
The deal emerged after months of behind-the-scenes talks between USC athletic director Jen Cohen and her Notre Dame counterpart Pete Bevacqua. Both sides acknowledged the cultural significance of the matchup, with Cohen noting that the rivalry “holds a special place in college football history.”
USC head coach Lincoln Riley, who has championed a national championship mindset, had previously floated the idea of ending the series to focus on playoff aspirations. Notre Dame’s current coach Marcus Freeman, meanwhile, has expressed enthusiasm for preserving the tradition despite the team’s recent move into the Big Ten.
The scheduling shift comes as USC adjusts to life in the Big Ten, a conference where it has posted an 11-7 record over the past two seasons, while Notre Dame reached the College Football Playoff two years ago. The new arrangement also reflects broader realignments, including Indiana’s decision to cancel its own home-and-home series with the Fighting Irish, clearing a path for the revived rivalry.
Negotiations had explored unconventional venues, such as a Week 0 kickoff or a neutral site in Mexico City, but the schools ultimately settled on a traditional home-and-home format. The agreement also resolves two years of public tension that had threatened to erase a century-old narrative.
Fans on both coasts are already marking their calendars, anticipating the clash that will once again pit West Coast powerhouses against the storied Fighting Irish. The restored series is expected to draw significant viewership and could influence future scheduling strategies across the sport.