USC and Notre Dame won’t play their annual football game for at least two seasons starting next year, according to On3. The rivalry has been a fixture for nearly 100 years.
The decision has sparked outrage across the college football community.
Andy Staples from On3 didn’t hold back his criticism when the move was finalized.
“What has kept these two teams from playing for most of the past century? World War II, and a worldwide pandemic. And, now, scheduling concerns, worries about competitiveness, worries about not making the College Football Playoff? That is what is derailing the rivalry. It’s ridiculous. It’s absolutely ridiculous.”
Staples said the loss of this rivalry represents everything that’s wrong with modern college football’s direction.
“These two teams need to play. It’s incredibly soft that they’re not going to play each other anymore. All of the things that college football keeps losing? This is one of the worst ones. This is one of the most important rivalries in sports…It’s one of the coolest rivalries in college football. The history of it is amazing. The pageantry of it is amazing. The colors are amazing. The uniforms are amazing. The players who played in this game. Think about that. Think about all of that, and it’s just tossed to the side.”
Big Ten Scheduling Creates Problems
Notre Dame’s playoff hopes remain strong each season. But USC faces different challenges with their move to the Big Ten Conference.
The scheduling logistics are brutal, Staples explained.
“I get why they do that. I get why they wanted to put that game earlier rather than later, because, if you put that in the middle of Big Ten play, and its sandwiched between an Ohio State game and a Penn State game? Well, that’s a lot of body blow theory that your team is going to have to deal with.”
USC’s 2025 conference schedule isn’t finalized yet. But road trips to Indiana, Wisconsin and Penn State will require thousands of travel miles.
Adding Notre Dame to that mix creates even more logistical headaches.
The 2026 season faces similar challenges with Big Ten obligations taking priority.
A resolution could take considerable time if one happens at all.
The rivalry that survived World War II and a global pandemic now falls victim to conference realignment and scheduling concerns.
