The rivalry between the USC Trojans and Notre Dame Fighting Irish is one of the best in not just College Football, but all of sports. It would be a travesty for it to end, but it is becoming more and more likely that it’s a reality that we will soon have to face.
The two iconic programs have squared off 95 times, dating back to 1924, over 100 years ago. It is a rivalry that has given us some of the game’s most iconic moments, and one that will undoubtedly give us many more if the game continues.
Yet, according to SI’s Pat Forde’s latest USC hit piece, errr, report, the game is in serious jeopardy of ending. As of today, this year’s October game in South Bend is the last scheduled game between the two teams. According to Forde (and confirmed by others), USC has offered Notre Dame a one-year extension, and the Fighting Irish rejected that offer, asking for an immediate long-term extension.
For now, a new deal has not been met, while both sides say that they hope to continue the rivalry. In its current iteration, the teams rotate playing home and away. When playing in South Bend, the game is in October, and when in Los Angeles, the game is typically one of, if not the last, game of the year.
Rumors are that USC wants to keep the storied game, but potentially switch up the format and move the game around the schedule, including at the beginning of the year.
Most on the Notre Dame side have lashed out against the USC Trojans, specifically against head coach Lincoln Riley, and called the program “cowardly” for even suggesting a change to how the series is formatted.
Brooks Austin, who works for the same company as Pat Forde (SI), and is the lead editor for their Georgia Bulldogs site, had his own thoughts on the recent news and surprisingly, sided with the USC Trojans.
College Football Analyst Sides With USC Trojans On Potential Notre Dame Split
On a recent episode on the SI Network, Austin talks about the news of a potential end to the USC Trojans and Notre Dame yearly game. What he says will probably surprise most people.
“We’re the same people that sit on this stage every single year when Notre Dame comes up, like you know what, I’m so sick and tired of Notre Dame and their football supremacy, ‘we’re big enough as a brand, we don’t need a conference,’ Austin says. “We’re one of those shows that hate on them for doing that. … I have come to this microphone and said over and over again, ‘boy I sure as s*** wish one of these other programs would stop scheduling them. Stop scheduling Notre Dame out of conference.”
This has been one of the major talking points for the USC Trojans, and any team, for that matter, when scheduling out-of-conference opponents.
It is a gauntlet trying to get through an entire slate of conference games. Even with the expanded College Football Playoff, you can really only lose a maximum of two games to have a shot at making it.
“You’re in a conference, SEC, Big Ten teams. You still have to play a conference schedule that’s legit; it’s tough. You’re not out here losing to Northern Illinois at home. You’ve got to play a legitimate conference schedule, and they get to sit up there on their high horse cause they got an NBC contract, and they ain’t gotta play no conference schedule. That’s bulls***.”
While no one wants to see this rivalry end, it does feel that the USC Trojans have the leverage, and the ball is in Notre Dame’s court to comply.
Last season, the Fighting Irish only played one ranked team, which happened to be 22nd-ranked Army. They lost to Northern Illinois at home. They still made the college football playoff.
Also Read: Local, Blue Chip Prospect Now Predicted To Choose Conference Rival Over USC Trojans
We all know that a Big Ten or SEC team will have a much more difficult path to make it to the CFP.
The easiest way to solve all of this is for Notre Dame to join the Big Ten. However, in every sport other than Football and Hockey, they are currently a member of the ACC. So that would complicate negotiations a bit.
The last time that we saw a rivalry of this magnitude face these circumstances was when Florida ultimately ended its yearly game with Miami, due to the SEC requiring more conference games.
At the very least, I do expect the two sides to sign a one-year extension, giving them more time to figure everything out. Will a long-term deal get figured out? I hate to even think about it, but without Notre Dame joining the Big Ten, it is looking more and more unlikely.
What do you think, Trojan Family?