US EditionNotre Dame and USC Pause Their Longstanding Rivalry, Fighting Irish Add BYU to 2026 Schedule
Notre Dame schedules BYU home-and-home in 2026-27, complicating the continuation of its annual rivalry with USC amid USC's Big Ten travel concerns.
- The Fighting Irish announced on Monday a two-game home-and-home with BYU, with the 2026 Provo game filling Notre Dame's final scheduled spot and likely interrupting the Notre Dame–USC rivalry.
- USC, citing cross-country travel as a Big Ten member, pushed to move the game to Week Zero or the first three weeks, but negotiations over an early-season date and extension broke down after months of talks and recent setbacks.
- The series record shows Notre Dame leads 51-37-5 and has won the last three meetings; except for 2020, the teams played 78 straight seasons since 1926, pausing only for World War II.
- The schools issued a joint statement saying they will keep working to restore the rivalry while USC seeks new 2026 opponents, with a return possible in the 2030 season.
- Both Notre Dame and BYU missed bids to this year's College Football Playoff, and Notre Dame has already lined up marquee opponents like Wisconsin, Michigan State, Auburn, Purdue, and Clemson.
38 Articles
38 Articles
Associated Press News
Notre Dame pauses long-standing rivalry with USC, adds BYU to 2026 schedule
One of college football’s biggest and longest rivalries, Notre Dame-Southern California, is being paused next season after the Fighting Irish filled their last open date on the 2026 schedule with Brigham Young.
Rockdale Citizen & Newton Citizen
Jackson Progress-ArgusNotre Dame, BYU to meet next two seasons; USC off Irish slate
Notre Dame and BYU were the first two teams on the outside of the College Football Playoff this season, and the programs are beefing up their nonconference schedules for the next two seasons by playing one another.
LA Daily News
USC-Notre Dame college football rivalry coming to a close
The longstanding college football rivalry series between USC and Notre Dame will end next season, according to reports. The two schools have not reached an agreement to extend the series, which featured its 96th annual game this season. Senior college football reporter Ross Dellenger was the first to report. Reports also speculate that USC athletic director Jen Cohen and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua will work to restart the series …
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