Lincoln Riley’s Cryptic Six-Word Reaction to Future of USC, Notre Dame Rivalry Debate

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt De Lima | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 3:54 PM ET

The long-standing rivalry between college football powerhouses USC and Notre Dame is tenuously hanging on for dear life in recent weeks. Both schools have expressed varying interest in continuing the rivalry which dates back to 1926, nearly 100 years; however, there's been little forward progress on solidifying an upcoming schedule.

The Trojans and Fighting Irish will compete for the Jeweled Shillelagh, the trophy given to the winner every year, on Oct. 18. However, there is nothing on tap between the two schools in 2026 and beyond.

USC head coach Lincoln Riley was asked for comment about the rivalry by On3's Pete Nakos and the 41-year-old coach's empty response only adds to the mystery.

"We will at the appropriate time," said Riley when pushed for a statement.

The future of Notre Dame-USC rivalry has become a key point this offseason. They’re scheduled to play in 2025, but nothing is official for 2026

I asked Lincoln Riley if he wanted to comment on the situation: "We will at the appropriate time."https://t.co/ukDdn6uaMF https://t.co/bUFxTZECwQ pic.twitter.com/EWsKBXaB6s
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) June 4, 2025

USC associate athletic director Cody Worsham pushed the narrative that the Trojans want the rivalry to continue in an article from college football insider Pat Forde.

“We want the USC–Notre Dame rivalry to continue, which is why we offered an extension of our agreement,” said Worsham. “It’s a special game to our fans and our institution. We will continue to work with Notre Dame on scheduling future games.”

It appears the impasse stems from Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua wanting a long-term deal to secure several games into the future; however, USC wants to go year-by-year.

A week ago, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman was more plainspoken in responding for comment about the rivalry.

“It’s a great rivalry for all of college football,” Freeman said. “If it was up to me, we would play them every single year for the rest of college football time.”

Notre Dame leads the all-time series 50-37-5. The Irish have won six of the last seven matchups against USC.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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