ND and USC clashed in a classic last season in the LA Coliseum (Photo: Jahn Mattera)
Back in 1926, the Notre Dame–USC series was born from both schools’ ambition to add a “national” opponent to their schedules, and Mrs. Knute Rockne’s desire to luxuriate in some Southern California sunshine every other year. The notion is said to have been hatched after Bonnie Rockne struck up a conversation with the wife of the USC athletic director during a late-season trip to not-so-sunny Nebraska the year before.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Since that first meeting, the Game has been played annually with just a few absences: during World War II (1943–45) and, most recently, the 2020 matchup fell victim to COVID. In 1927, a record crowd of 120,000 converged on Chicago’s Soldier Field to watch Notre Dame eke out a 7–6 win over USC.
By the early 1930s, the rivalry had already made its mark: from 1929 to 1932, Notre Dame and USC combined to win four straight national titles. In the 1960s, names like John Huarte, Mike Garrett, and O. J. Simpson earned Heisman laurels, and the outcome of the game often carried national title implications — five times that decade the national championship was won or lost based on their meeting.
The 1970s produced some of the most cinematic moments in the rivalry’s history. In 1972, Anthony Davis ripped through USC’s defense for six touchdowns. In 1973, on the very first play, freshman Luther Bradley floored Lynn Swann by knocking his helmet off, and later Eric Penick broke free for an 85-yard score. In 1977, the Irish were escorted onto the field by a student built Trojan Horse —and the Irish donned green jerseys for the first time in decades — proceeded to defeat the Trojans, and pushed on toward the national championship.
In 1988, it was #1 vs. #2 at the Coliseum, with the national championship picture hanging in the balance. Lou Holtz made headlines before kickoff by sending two of his top running backs — Ricky Watters and Tony Brooks — back to South Bend for disciplinary reasons. But even without them, the Irish delivered one of their most memorable performances. Led by quarterback Tony Rice, “The Rocket” Raghib Ismail, and the “Three Amigos” on defense, Notre Dame powered past USC to complete an unbeaten regular season and went on to claim the national title.
In 1989, a brawl broke out in the tunnel before the game. In 2005, aided by the infamous “Bush Push,” USC came from behind and Charlie Weis had a signature….. loss.
Holtz never lost to the Trojans; Ty Willingham and Charlie Weis never beat USC. Under Brian Kelly, Notre Dame won 7 of 10 matchups, including the last three in that stretch. And as time marched on, the rivalry’s dynamic continued to evolve.
As of the 2024 season, Notre Dame leads the all-time series — 50–37–5 . The Fighting Irish also lead the series since the advent of the Jeweled Shillelagh, the trophy now awarded each year to the winner. The rivalry has seen swings of dominance: USC went 12–2–2 from 1967–82; Notre Dame went 11–0–1 from 1983–95; and USC ran off 8 straight wins from 2002–09.
In 2024, one of the most recent chapters was written in dramatic fashion: Notre Dame won 49–35 in Los Angeles, capped by back-to-back pick-six returns in the final minutes, ND punched their ticket to the College Football Playoff. That result extended Notre Dame’s recent edge — they have won six of the last seven matchups heading into 2025.
Yet even as the rivalry’s story remains rich and ongoing, the ground beneath it is shifting. With USC’s move to the Big Ten, new travel demands, conference scheduling constraints, and changing priorities have cast doubt on the series’ long-term future. The current agreement for now includes a 2026 game in Los Angeles, but beyond that, nothing is agreed on. USC athletic director Jennifer Cohen has proposed a new multi-year extension, while Notre Dame’s Pete Bevacqua has publicly said the game “should be played every year.” Marcus Freeman also has spoken out firmly on his desire to see the series continued. Still, no deal has been finalized.
The biggest sticking point isn’t passion — both schools want the rivalry to continue — but timing. USC has floated moving the matchup earlier in the season to ease its Big Ten travel grind, while Notre Dame prefers to keep it near the end of the year. Until that scheduling puzzle is solved, the future remains unsettled.
For now, though, the rivalry endures. This week, it writes yet another chapter in a saga that’s spanned nearly a century — filled with unforgettable moments, shifting power swings, and legends on both sides. Whether it continues indefinitely or edges toward its final act, USC–Notre Dame remains more than just a football game. It’s tradition, identity, and history wrapped into one — and college football would be lesser without it.