Notre Dame and USC have played 96 times since 1926, the most storied intersectional rivalry in college football, and for the first time in a non pandemic year since 1945 they will not play in 2026. Notre Dame leads 51 to 37 with five ties. The last meeting was a 34 to 24 Irish win in South Bend on October 18, 2025, and the next one is scheduled for August 31, 2030 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
| First meeting | December 4, 1926, Notre Dame 13, USC 12, at the Coliseum |
| Last meeting | October 18, 2025, Notre Dame 34, USC 24, South Bend |
| Trophy | The Jeweled Shillelagh, an Irish oak war club with an emerald shamrock for each Notre Dame win and a ruby Trojan head for each USC win; Notre Dame leads the trophy series 36 to 30 with 3 ties |
| Largest margin | Notre Dame 51, USC 0, 1966 |
| Longest streak | Notre Dame, 11 straight wins from 1983 to 1993 (13 unbeaten through 1995) |
| At each site | Notre Dame 28 and 13 and 1 in South Bend; USC 24 and 20 and 1 in Los Angeles (excluding vacated games) |
| Vacated | USC’s 2005 “Bush Push” win (Reggie Bush sanctions) and Notre Dame’s 2012 and 2013 wins (academic misconduct case) do not count in the official record |
Why They Are Not Playing in 2026
The contract ran out after the 2025 game and the two schools could not agree on an extension in time. USC, now a Big Ten member with a nine game conference schedule and cross country travel, wanted flexibility on dates and a shorter commitment; Notre Dame wanted the traditional home and home to continue uninterrupted. The result is the first scheduled gap since the series resumed after World War II (the only other interruptions were 1943 to 1945 and the 2020 pandemic season). The teams have since agreed to resume on August 31, 2030 at the Coliseum, so the hiatus runs four seasons. Both fan bases hated it, which is roughly the point of a rivalry.
The Games People Still Argue About
| 1974 | USC 55, Notre Dame 24. The Irish led 24 to 0 in the second quarter; Anthony Davis scored four times and USC put up 55 straight points, the most famous comeback in the series |
| 1977 | Notre Dame 49, USC 19. The green jersey game: the Irish warmed up in blue and came out of the tunnel in green, then won by 30 on the way to the national title |
| 1988 | Notre Dame 27, USC 10. No. 1 against No. 2 at the Coliseum; Lou Holtz’s Irish went on to win the national championship |
| 2005 | USC 34, Notre Dame 31. The Bush Push: Matt Leinart’s sneak with Reggie Bush shoving him in with three seconds left, later vacated |
| 2025 | Notre Dame 34, USC 24. The last game of the current series, CJ Carr’s first Shillelagh |
The Bottom Line
Notre Dame leads USC 51 to 37 with five ties across 96 games, has won the last three, and holds the Jeweled Shillelagh until at least 2030, when the rivalry resumes at the Coliseum after a four season hiatus that neither side wanted. Notre Dame’s 2026 schedule without the Trojans is on Notre Dame football schedule; the live score is on Notre Dame football score.