USC finds itself in a position of power as Notre Dame tries to come crawling back

After failing to reach an agreement for the 2026 season, USC and Notre Dame are back at the-table to ensure one of college football’s greatest annual traditions continues.

This report comes five months after the series was put on hiatus when USC suggested the game be moved to the start of the season, when it was more manageable for the Trojans while dealing with a nine-game Big Ten schedule. Notre Dame, of course, isn't in a conference and did not react well when USC did not bend at the knee for them. The Trojans and Irish will not play this season or next season, but after that it seems like everything is potentially on the table.

Notre Dame received its wake-up call and will try to get USC back on the schedule

It seems the Irish have finally been forced into a reality check. Realizing they can no longer dictate terms to the rest of the college football world, especially with a lackluster schedule that’s impressed exactly no one and now Notre Dame has crawled back to the negotiating table. Credit where it's due to them in admitting you need USC more than USC needs you is a massive step in personal growth.

"The fact is very, very clear, and this can all be settled very quickly — had Notre Dame lived up to their word and played us anytime, anywhere, we would be playing them the next two years and looking ahead after that and hopefully continuing the series. They did not follow through on it. Thus, we are not playing them the next couple years"

USC coach Lincoln Riley

Ultimately, the war of words between these two fanbases has gone on long enough. The players, coaches, and students on both sides deserve this game. It is a win for college football that USC and Notre Dame are talking again, regardless of how they got back to the table. In an era where the sport is changing at breakneck speed, preserving a storied tradition like this is essential to maintaining the pageantry that makes college football special.

While scheduling hurdles and contractual red tape mean we won't see the Irish and Trojans clash again until 2030, the light at the end of the tunnel is finally visible. The wait will be long, but both fanbases can now breathe a sigh of relief knowing that this historic trek between Los Angeles and South Bend is officially back on the calendar for the new decade.

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