Notre Dame is responsible for the pause in the near 100-year rivalry with USC, Trojans coach Lincoln Riley emphatically stated.
Riley assigned blame Monday in San Antonio as No. 16 USC prepares to take on TCU in the Valero Alamo Bowl.
A joint press conference with Horned Frogs coach Sonny Dykes was the first time Riley had a chance to speak about the discontinuation of the series and the Trojans coach had a lot to say.
“We took Notre Dame at their word that they would play us anytime, anywhere,” Riley said. “That proposal was rejected. Not only was it rejected, but five minutes after we got the call, it was announced they scheduled another opponent, which I’ll give them credit, that might be the fastest scheduling act in college football history.”
In place of USC, Notre Dame announced on Dec. 21 that it will play a home-and-home series with BYU in 2026 and 2027.
Regarded as one of the fiercest rivalries in college football history, the Trojans and Irish have played 96 times since first meeting in 1926. The teams have met every year since, except for a pause from 1943 to 1945 during World War II and again in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic when the Pac-12 canceled all non-conference games.
Notre Dame leads the series 51–37–5, including victories in eight of the past 10 matchups.
Riley was eager to join the historic rivalry when he took over at USC on November 28, 2021, after five seasons as Oklahoma’s head coach.
“I have a deep respect for college football, been a part of some really great rivalries,” Riley said. “Obviously, this is right there up at the top.”
So, being one of the only coaches in a century of USC football not to face Notre Dame during the regular season does not sit well with Riley.
“We’re hopeful something can be worked out in the future,” Riley said. “That would be fantastic. We at SC would love for the game to continue. We have no problem following through on our promises in the future.”
The rivalry between Notre Dame and USC was traditionally contested around Thanksgiving, but always in the final months of the season. This year’s contest was held Oct. 18 with the Irish scoring a 34-24 victory over the then-No. 20 Trojans.
The selection process for the NCAA’s 12-team College Football Playoff is causing teams to reconsider who they play in non-conference games, especially late in the season.
Notre Dame failed to make the CFP this season despite going 10-2. The Irish opted not to participate in a bowl game after the NCAA announced the field.
“I know college football has changed a lot, but the fact is very, very clear, this can all be settled very quickly,” Riley said. “Had Notre Dame lived up to their word and played us anytime, anywhere, we would be playing in the next two years, and looking ahead after that, hopefully continuing the series. They did not follow through on it, thus we are not playing them [for] the next couple [of] years.”
Notre Dame and USC said in a joint statement on Dec. 22 that “our institutions will continue working towards bringing back The Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh,” and that they “look forward to meeting again in the future.”
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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