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The 2026 college football schedule looks a little bit different than in years past.
For the first time since the rivalry began in 1926, except for hiatuses due to World War II and the COVID-19 pandemic, USC and Notre Dame will not play each other next year, or potentially any time soon.
There have been 96 total meetings between the two schools, which have managed to schedule a game every year despite Notre Dame not being in a conference.
However, USC is said to have wanted to play the game earlier in the season — it has typically been played during either rivalry week in Los Angeles or mid-October in South Bend.
The reaction has been strong, but Matt Leinart defended his school.
“Call me lame but I’m going to trust a school that’s produced more Heisman winners than anyone else in history and 11 National Championships to do what’s right for the program,” Leinart posted on X Christmas Eve. “Texas and A&M played forever and then they didn’t. Same with Utah and BYU. It was a bummer but the world didn’t end. Here’s hoping this is a momentary pause just like those.”
Leinart’s head coach at the time, Pete Carroll, differed from his former quarterback.
“I have no space to think of why somebody would want to do that,” Carroll said Monday. “I hope that doesn’t carry over to other matchups that have been so important to people over the years and so much fun, not so much the teams. It’s for the fans and for the alumni. That’s too bad. I’m disappointed to hear that.”
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The Fighting Irish announced Monday they filled their last 2026 open date with a game against BYU. Notre Dame and USC officials say they recognize the rivalry’s importance and are working to bring it back, but it likely won’t be until the new decade.
“USC and Notre Dame recognize how special our rivalry is to our fans, our teams and college football and our institutions will continue working to bring back the Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh,” Notre Dame and USC officials said in a joint statement. “The rivalry between our two schools is one of the best in all of sport and we look forward to meeting in the future.”
Notre Dame and USC first played in 1926, and the Irish lead the series between the two traditional powers 53-38-5. The Irish have won each of the last three meetings and won this year in Indiana, 34-24.
Negotiations became more challenging when USC joined the Big Ten last season, because the Trojans prefer to play non-conference games in August or September. The two schools, which have combined to win 22 national championships and produced 15 Heisman Trophy winners, have traditionally met in October or November.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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