100-Year College Football Rivalry In Jeopardy of Coming to an End

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Scott Salomon | Last updated May 19, 2025 6:06 PM ET

The Southern California Trojans and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have played 95 times over the last 100 seasons. According to one college football analyst, the series could be coming to an expedited conclusion.

According to Pat Forde, the series is on the "brink of collapse."

“The USC-Notre Dame rivalry, one of the greatest in college football, is on the brink of ending this fall,” Forde posted on X. He continued to reveal that the Trojans and the Irish may not come to an agreement to play beyond 2025. “The two sides see the situation very differently, with talks ongoing.”

Officials at Notre Dame want to see the series continue, but with Southern California forced to play nine conference games, it leaves them with only three non-conference games and they might be looking for layups.

“I think Southern Cal and Notre Dame should play every year for as long as college football is played,” Irish athletic director Pete Bevacqua told Forde. “SC knows that’s how we feel.”

The Trojans are worried about their conference slate and then having to face a team like Notre Dame, which could have major College Football Playoff implications.

According to Forde, the Trojans are hesitant to enter into a long-term deal due to uncertainty about the future College Football Playoff format and the demands of heightened travel since joining the Big Ten Conference. One solution would be moving the game to a season-opening spot on the schedule, and that’s something USC has broached.

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

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