Riley criticizes Notre Dame for stopping football rivalry
The Fighting Irish reportedly rejected USC’s proposal to extend the historic series.
By BENNETT CHRISTOFFERSON
Following the announcement that USC and Notre Dame would not play their annual football rivalry game in 2026, USC Head Coach Lincoln Riley spoke out against the Fighting Irish for failing to extend the series, blaming them for the teams’ inability to reach an agreement.
“We’ve both worked for months to try to find a solution. Notre Dame was very vocal about the fact that they would play us anytime, anywhere,” Riley said in a news conference Dec. 29 before USC’s Alamo Bowl loss against TCU. “Had Notre Dame lived up to their word and played us ‘anytime, anywhere,’ we would be playing them the next two years.”
According to Riley, Athletic Director Jennifer Cohen had recently submitted a proposal to Notre Dame that would allow them to play for the next two seasons before continuing negotiations. After rejecting said proposal, the Fighting Irish announced Dec. 22 that they had agreed to play BYU in the 2026 and 2027 seasons, filling out their 12-game schedule and effectively ending any chance of a matchup with USC.
Daily headlines, sent straight to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with the latest at and around USC.
“Five minutes after we got the call [rejecting the proposal], it was announced that they had scheduled in another opponent,” Riley said. “I’ll give them credit; that might be the fastest scheduling act in college football history.”
The future of the historic matchup, which has been played in nearly every season since 1926, first came into question in 2024 after Riley suggested that the Trojans may need to schedule easier nonconference opponents to maximize their chances of making an expanded College Football Playoff field. USC reportedly offered Notre Dame a multi-year extension for the series in August, but an agreement was never reached.
Despite the rivalry being put on hold, Riley expressed a strong desire for its return in the near future, saying USC-Notre Dame was “up at the top” of college football’s great rivalries.
“We’re hopeful something can be worked out in the future,” Riley said. “We at SC would love for the game to continue, and we have no problem following through on our promises in the future.”
