USC and Notre Dame have agreed to a four-year football series beginning in 2030, resolving a multiyear scheduling standoff. The renewal was unlocked when Notre Dame canceled games against Indiana, accommodating USC’s demand to play early in the season to navigate its demanding Big Ten conference slate.
One of college football’s most storied intersectional matchups is officially back on the calendar.
How USC and Notre Dame Broke the Scheduling Impasse
The core dispute holding up the contract extension for more than a year centered on when the game would be played. USC leadership insisted on moving the annual contest out of its traditional late-season Thanksgiving weekend slot to the opening weeks of the season. Trojan officials first floated playing during Week 0 of the 2027 season, but Notre Dame repeatedly balked at shifting the fixture, desiring to preserve the historic late-November tradition.
The breakthrough arrived when the Fighting Irish agreed to alter their own future slates. According to reporting by CBS Sports, Notre Dame canceled a planned home-and-home series with Indiana for 2030 and 2031 to clear space for the Trojans. That decision left Indiana without any Power Four non-conference opponents on its future docket.
Adding cross-country travel for a traditional late-season rivalry clash became a non-starter for athletic director Jennifer Cohen and head coach Lincoln Riley.
As I’ve said publicly, we’re a part of a conference,
Riley explained in remarks published by the Los Angeles Times. We have a conference schedule to answer to. We don’t make our own schedule, we don’t choose our own kickoff times. And so with that, we have much less flexibility and so it made more sense for us to play this game in a traditional nonconference window.
The 2030 to 2033 Game Schedule and Venue Rotation
The renewed series kicks off on August 31, 2030, with Notre Dame traveling to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The following year, the teams will swap venues for a Week 1 matchup on August 30, 2031, at Notre Dame Stadium.
Two weeks after hosting USC to open the 2030 campaign, Notre Dame is scheduled to travel to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama.
| Season | Date / Window | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 2030 | August 31, 2030 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum |
| 2031 | August 30, 2031 | Notre Dame Stadium |
| 2032 | Weeks 1–3 | Not specified |
| 2033 | Weeks 1–3 | Not specified |
Historical Rivalry Context and the Jeweled Shillelagh
First played in 1926—when Knute Rockne led his squad across the country by train for a 13-12 victory—the series stands as one of the most prolific intersectional pairings in college football history. The programs have combined for numerous national championships, Heisman Trophy winners, and NFL draft picks.
All-time, Notre Dame holds a 53-38-5 advantage over the Trojans.
“USC’s historic rivalry with Notre Dame holds a special place in the history of college football, and we are happy to resume [a] series that means so much to the entire Trojan Family.”
Jennifer Cohen, USC athletic director, via Los Angeles Times
