USC and Notre Dame fail to reach agreement on extension, will not play for the foreseeable future

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USC and Notre Dame fail to reach agreement on extension, will not play for the foreseeable future
Bryan Jackson #21 of the USC Trojans runs with the ball during the game against Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium on October 18, 2025 in South Bend, Indiana.
Bryan Jackson #21 of the USC Trojans runs with the ball during the game against Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium on October 18, 2025 in South Bend, Indiana.

LOS ANGELES — The USC Trojans and Notre Dame Fighting Irish have failed to reach an agreement on an extension to continue their storied rivalry for the foreseeable future, as first reported by Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports. The Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh has been played every season since 1946, excluding 2020, and their 2026 meeting would have marked the 79th meeting between the two historic programs.  

With the sudden news, USC will now have to look for a Power Four replacement for their schedule, and the Trojans find themselves eligible to play and schedule any FBS program for 2026. On the other hand, Notre Dame has finalized a two-year deal to play BYU in a home-and-home series for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, with the Fighting Irish wrapping up their 2026 schedule in Provo, Utah. 

With the back-and-forth conversation of reviving the rivalry game occurring for the past few months, both programs are still working on playing the game as soon as 2030, but in the meantime, College Football's most iconic rivalry will be at a standstill. 

"USC and Notre Dame recognize how special our rivalry is to our fans, our teams, and college football, and our institutions will continue working towards bringing back The Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh," Notre Dame and USC said in a released joint statement following the news. "The rivalry between our two schools is one of the best in all of sport, and we look forward to meeting again in the future."

It causes an even bigger heartache that both schools were close to agreeing on a two-year extension, with their traditional game being played after Thanksgiving and Notre Dame hosting for their 2027 matchup. Still, in the last two weeks, conversations about an extension declined, and scheduling conflicts and College Football Playoff changes were the straw that broke the camel's back, according to those closest to the contract talks. Along with that, USC officials were not too fond of playing on the initial dates brought forth by Notre Dame, due to the College Football Playoff committee's moral alliance of punishing late-season losses to teams. 

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