After facing off nearly every year over the last century, USC and Notre Dame football will not play their rivalry game in 2026, according to a joint statement released by both schools Monday morning. The historic series will likely not return until at least the 2030 season, a source familiar with the negotiations told the Los Angeles Times.

“USC and Notre Dame recognize how special our rivalry is to our fans, our teams, and college football, and our institutions will continue working towards bringing back The Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh,” the joint statement read. “The rivalry between our two schools is one of the best in all of sport[s], and we look forward to meeting again in the future.”

The future of the series had previously come into question earlier this year after Head Coach Lincoln Riley expressed concern about the impact a high-caliber nonconference opponent could have on the Trojans’ College Football Playoff chances. A midseason loss to Notre Dame was a turning point in USC’s CFP chances this season, while the ranked win nearly propelled a two-loss Fighting Irish team into the playoffs.

In August, USC reportedly offered a multi-year extension for the series; however, discussions surrounding the extension fell through in recent weeks, according to the L.A. Times. Athletic Director Jennifer Cohen has maintained that USC’s priority would remain maximizing its own chances of success.

“Intentionally making our road to the CFP significantly more difficult than our Big Ten peers does not align with our goal to win championships,” Cohen wrote in the November State of Troy. 

USC has already scheduled Football Bowl Subdivision foes Fresno State University and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette for its 2026 nonconference slate and will look to replace Notre Dame soon.