With the Notre Dame and USC rivalry in peril, Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman came out strong in his support of the game.
Notre Dame vs. USC in Jeopardy Past 2025
Column: In a sport where greed keeps undercutting tradition, the USC-Notre Dame rivalry needs to continue. That’s primarily on USC, which is in danger of further chiseling away its identity. https://t.co/xE4lUgKBtM
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) May 20, 2025
Notre Dame vs. USC is one of the most storied rivalries in college football. The two teams have played every year since 1926, with two major exceptions. No games were played during World War II (1943-1945) and COVID-19 (2020).
Notre Dame leads the series 52–38–5.
The Fighting Irish and Trojans are scheduled to play this fall. However, there is no agreement to play in 2026 and beyond.
The two sides see things differently. In short, Notre Dame wants to play, while USC is less enthused.
Per Sports Illustrated, USC offered a one-time extension to play in Los Angeles in 2026. Notre Dame wants a long-term commitment from the Trojans.
“We want the USC–Notre Dame rivalry to continue, which is why we offered an extension of our agreement,” USC associate athletic director Cody Worsham said to SI. “It’s a special game to our fans and our institution. We will continue to work with Notre Dame on scheduling future games.”
Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua gave a stronger response than Worsham, saying, “I think Southern Cal and Notre Dame should play every year for as long as college football is played, and SC knows that’s how we feel.”
What Does Marcus Freeman Think About The Rivalry?
NEW: Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman wants to play USC every year:
“It’s pretty black and white for me. You want my opinion? I want to play them every single year.
When? I don’t care. I don’t care when we play them. Start of the season, middle of the season, end of the season — I… pic.twitter.com/Hjf64wumHN
— On3 (@On3sports) May 29, 2025
Freeman did not hesitate when asked about the rivalry. He wants his Fighting Irish to play the Trojans.
“It’s pretty black and white for me,” Freeman said at a press conference on Thursday via On3.com. “You want my opinion? I want to play them every single year. When? I don’t care. I don’t care when we play them. Start of the season, middle of the season, end of the season — I don’t care. I want to play USC every year because it’s great for college football.”
Since becoming the head coach at Notre Dame, Freeman has bested the Trojans two out of three times.
Without a conference, Notre Dame wants the USC game as a way to strengthen their schedule and boost their resume.
USC plays in the Big Ten, which is waiting to see if the SEC adds a ninth conference game. The Big Ten might even sign a scheduling agreement with the SEC. With a tougher conference schedule and a game against the SEC, USC might elect to pass on the Notre Dame game.
The Irish host the Trojans in South Bend on Oct. 18.
