Notre Dame-BYU series puts USC rivalry on pause

Notre Dame and BYU, the top two at-large teams left out of this year's College Football Playoff field, have agreed to a home-and-home series beginning next season, which marks a halt in the Fighting Irish's longtime annual series with rival USC for the foreseeable future.

The 2026 game in Provo, Utah, is filling the final spot on Notre Dame's schedule, as the other 11 games have been announced. Both Notre Dame and USC have said they want to continue the cherished rivalry, which began in 1926, but USC has expressed concern about the timing of the game, wanting it to be early in the season, when most Power 4 teams play marquee nonconference games.

The USC-Notre Dame game in South Bend, Indiana, typically takes place in October, while the matchup in Los Angeles ends the regular season.

"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 joint statement Monday. "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."

The Fighting Irish finished No. 11 in the final CFP standings despite 10 consecutive double-digit wins to close the season, while BYU finished at No. 12 after an 11-1 regular season and a loss to Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship game. The dates for the 2026 and 2027 game (at Notre Dame) will be announced later.

The teams last met in 2022, as part of a Shamrock Series matchup in Las Vegas, and have played nine times with Notre Dame holding a 7-2 edge in the series.