USC chose not to capitulate to Notre Dame's bullying tactics, now Irish eyes are crying

The USC Trojans and Notre Dame Fighting Irish couldn’t come to terms on continuing their rivalry series, and it looks like there won’t be a chance to revive it until at least 2030. Who knows what the college football scene will look like by then, but for now, the rivalry has come to an end.

I’m grateful to my editor for giving me the freedom to write this piece, which is simply a fan’s perspective on the end of one of college football’sgreatest rivalries. Many people connected to this rivalry and these two iconic programs have their own views on how a fan should act towards this news.

Let me be clear: I am a USC fan. That doesn’t mean I’m biased when covering USC athletics—far from it. I strive to be fair and as impartial as possible in my coverage. However, this piece comes from the fan in me, not the impartial journalist who enjoys writing about and covering USC athletics.

With that said, let’s get to the point. The truth is, there’s no real issue, at least not from USC’s side. The USC and Notre Dame series isn’t continuing because Notre Dame has been acting like a petulant child who didn’t get their way, and now everyone within earshot has to endure their temper tantrum.

USC finally decided to look out for USC first

From a negotiation perspective on continuing this series, USC always played with two factors that Notre Dame seriously underestimated. First was leverage. Notre Dame assumed USC needed them more, which was far from the truth and became obvious when Notre Dame missed the college football playoff.

Second was prioritizing USC’s own interests. The administration’s responsibility is to do what benefits USC, not Notre Dame. USC saw a Week 0 matchup as a solid compromise: they offer Notre Dame a marquee game, while Notre Dame takes what they can from a national brand facing tough late-season games. Games, plural—not singular—and that’s an important distinction.

Notre Dame was being asked to do something they believe they’re neither entitled nor obligated to do—compromise. College football has changed quickly, and to keep traditions alive, there needs to be some give and take to preserve the sport’s more romantic elements. But Notre Dame doesn’t give; they take, and if you don’t go along with that selfish, bully-like behavior, they make it seem like you should be ashamed for not enabling it.

Notre Dame tried to bully USC and it didn't work

It became obvious that the national sentiment toward Notre Dame was shifting. On Selection Sunday, they were left out of the playoff, and the Irish reacted by choosing not to play in their bowl game against BYU. Frustrated at not getting their way, they sent their Athletic Director on a press tour to spin their entitled actions as those of a victim, claiming they no longer wished to play. Ironically, they went on to replace USC with BYU for the next two seasons—a quick turnaround for a team supposedly willing to keep the series going.

For USC, the relationship had become unhealthy for the Trojans. It turned into a situation where Notre Dame was taking whatever they wanted while ignoring what mattered to USC. Notre Dame wants to maintain their independence, and that’s their right, but it’s also solely their responsibility.

The Trojans offered a solution, but Notre Dame decided that “any place and any time” didn’t actually include Week 0. USC chose to end the unhealthy arrangement, and Notre Dame refused to compromise. Both sides share blame for the cancellation, but USC finally stood up to the entitled child and said, “No, you can’t behave this way.” Notre Dame, in turn, responded by walking away.