With the Notre Dame and USC football rivalry looking like it won’t continue after its final scheduled game in 2026, there has been hope on both sides that a deal can be worked out for the two teams to keep facing off.
In a report from Ryan Kartje of the LA Times late Wednesday night, the Trojans have made “an amended offer to Notre Dame that would extend their annual series for multiple years beyond this season.” USC’s athletic director Jennifer Cohen believes that this offer could lead to getting what the Irish want, a long-term deal.
Part of the holdup has been potential changes to automatic bids for the power conferences, as they have continued to try and work out a deal that gives the Big Ten and SEC more, but at this moment nothing has materialized on that front. Another aspect that has hindered the deal is when the game will be played, as USC doesn’t want to make a trip to South Bend in the middle of its conference schedule. Kartje explained that the Irish aren’t necessarily fond of having the game in September, which has also put a wrench into extending the rivalry.
As head coach Marcus Freeman has said, Notre Dame will play the Trojans anywhere and anytime, he just wants a deal to get done. It’s looking more and more like USC wants to do the same, but at this moment, its still just conversations on how they can make it work for both parties.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Report: USC sends over a new offer to try and keep Notre Dame rivalry alive
Reporting by Michael Chen , Fighting Irish Wire / Fighting Irish Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
