The century-old rivalry sequence between USC and Notre Dame is taking a number of years off, and so far as Lincoln Riley is worried, that’s the fault of the Irish.
In his first public feedback because the sequence was formally placed on hiatus, the USC coach put the blame squarely on Notre Dame for not accepting USC’s most up-to-date supply to proceed the rivalry, which might have moved the 2026 sport, normally scheduled in November, to the very starting of the season.
“It’s fairly easy,” Riley stated Monday, forward of USC’s bowl matchup with Texas Christian. “We each labored for months to attempt to discover a answer. Notre Dame was very vocal about the truth that they might play us anytime, wherever.
“Jen Cohen, our AD, went again to Notre Dame roughly a few weeks in the past with a state of affairs and a proposal that will prolong the sequence for the following two years. We took Notre Dame at their phrase that they might play us anytime, wherever. That proposal was rejected.
“Not solely was it rejected, however 5 minutes after we bought the decision, it was introduced they scheduled one other opponent, which I’ll give them credit score, that is likely to be the quickest scheduling act in faculty soccer historical past.”
The Occasions reported final week that the Playoff choice earlier this month proved to be a turning level for USC’s administration in talks with Notre Dame. The conclusion that the Irish — by advantage of a facet settlement with the Faculty Soccer Playoff committee that arms them a bid if ranked within the prime 12 — would have gotten into the sector over Miami particularly gave USC pause.
That’s when Cohen returned to Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua with a suggestion for the rivals to face off within the season opener. Notre Dame as a substitute scheduled Brigham Younger to fill that emptiness over the following two seasons.
Riley has been roundly criticized for his half within the rivalry’s potential demise after he steered in August 2024 that the annual sequence may very well be at risk, if USC proved an excessive amount of of a hurdle within the Trojans’ path to the Faculty Soccer Playoff.
Within the spring, as negotiations between the 2 colleges stalled and the general public pointed fingers at Riley and USC, Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman stated that persevering with the rivalry was “fairly black and white for me.”
“I wish to play them each single 12 months,” Freeman stated. “You need my opinion? I wish to play them each single 12 months. When? I don’t care. I don’t care once we play them: Begin of the season, center of the season, finish of the season. I don’t care. I wish to play USC yearly as a result of I feel it’s nice for faculty soccer.”
After initially holding agency on its intent to renegotiate phrases of the rivalry year-to-year, in order to attend on adjustments to the Faculty Soccer Playoff format, USC despatched an amended supply to Notre Dame earlier than the season that will have prolonged the sequence for 2 seasons. However Notre Dame needed an extended deal.
The 2 colleges practically got here to an settlement in October, round their closing assembly in South Bend. USC had made clear that it needed to play the sport earlier within the season, however was warming as much as the thought of continuous the sequence as is thru 2027.
USC determined to dig its heels in after Choice Sunday, returning to USC with a closing supply to play early within the 2026 season. Notre Dame declined.
“The actual fact may be very, very clear, this will all be settled in a short time,” Riley stated. “Had Notre Dame lived as much as their phrase and performed us anytime, wherever, we might be enjoying within the subsequent two years, and looking out forward after that, hopefully persevering with the sequence.
“They didn’t comply with by means of on it, thus we’re not enjoying them the following couple years. We’re hopeful one thing might be labored out sooner or later. That might be unbelievable. We at SC would love for the sport to proceed. We’ve no downside following by means of on our guarantees sooner or later.”
It’ll be some time earlier than these negotiations begin up once more. The subsequent window during which USC may play Notre Dame is through the 2030 season.
