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Lincoln Riley says Notre Dame broke its promise on USC rivalry game

7/30/2026

The USC Trojans and Notre Dame Fighting Irish will not play in 2026, and USC head coach Lincoln Riley is pointing at broken promises from the Notre Dame side.

At Big Ten media week, Riley said the game would be happening if "some things come true that were said," placing responsibility on the Irish for the collapse of scheduling negotiations over the Jeweled Shillelagh, a trophy game played 96 times across a century of college football.

Why a century-old rivalry is sitting out a season The USC-Notre Dame series carries a weight most college football matchups don't.

Traditionally called "the greatest intersectional rivalry in college sports," the game has survived pauses for World War II and COVID-19 and regularly draws national attention for its stadiums, uniforms, and postseason implications.