The Notre Dame-USC rivalry? Yeah, it might be gasping for air. So here’s the scoop. Notre Dame just dropped a bombshell—they’re going head-to-head with Clemson for a good 12 years, from 2027 to 2038. And, wouldn’t you know it, that lines up right when their thing with USC wraps up in 2026.
Had a little chat in February with USC’s bigwig, Jennifer Cohen. She was reminiscing about the whole saga that started way back in 1926. But here’s the kicker—USC’s now chillin’ with the Big Ten, flying like a thousand miles every other week. (Really, USC? Maybe should’ve thought that through before nuking the Pac-12, just saying.)
Cohen’s got this dilemma though. She goes, “We’re chattin’ with Notre Dame about the whole deal,” but she’s also gotta figure what’s best for the team while juggling all those cross-country flights.
These guys have been battling it out nearly every year since World War II ended, save for a hiccup with COVID in 2020. Honestly, kinda feels like USC’s ready to tap out. Notre Dame’s been owning it—52-38-5 in the series, and they’ve been crushing the last couple of matchups, 97-55 in total.
Notre Dame’s history with Clemson? Yeah, not so deep. Only met like eight times, starting in 1977, and the Irish haven’t fared too well against the Tigers recently, 2-4 over the last decade.
Okay, so it’s kinda sad to think about the Notre Dame-USC showdown hitting pause after 100 years, but Notre Dame sees something in Clemson. Sure, the Tigers are beasts, but they’re looking at those rankings and thinking playing them will boost their profile more, win or lose—unless it’s a total disaster, I guess.
Clemson’s got that ACC clout and hit the CFP after winning conference last season. Meanwhile, USC’s been sort of floundering, with more losing seasons than big wins since 2018.
So, yeah, Notre Dame pairing up with Clemson might mean saying goodbye to one of the coolest out-of-conference rivalries in college football. What a bummer, right?
