Lincoln Riley reveals truth on USC-Notre Dame rivalry suspension

LOS ANGELES -- As the USC Trojans prepare to play against the TCU Horned Frogs in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Tuesday, USC Head Coach Lincoln Riley stepped up to the podium on Monday afternoon to address the media ahead of the game and had the chance to give his perspective about the Trojans' historic rivalry with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish being temporarily on stand-by for the inevitable future. 

"It's pretty simple. We both worked for months to try to find a solution. Notre Dame was very vocal about the fact that they would play us anytime, anywhere. Obviously them not having a conference affiliation gives them an ability to be pretty flexible with their scheduling," Riley said. 

Up until December 22, when it was confirmed that the two programs were unable to reach an agreement on an extension for the 2026-2027 season series, the Trojans and Fighting Irish were indeed engaging in talks for extending their historic rivalry, but sources close to the matter declared that with scheduling conflicts and the way the College Football Playoff committee punishing late-season losses to teams, a deal fel flat despite best efforts being brought forth. 

"We went back, Jen Cohen, our A.D., went back to Notre Dame roughly a couple of weeks ago with a scenario and a proposal that would extend the series for the next two years," Riley said on the valiant efforts USC took to extend the rivalry for years to come. "We took Notre Dame at their word that they would play us anytime, anywhere." 

Riley then confirmed that their initial proposal was rejected by Notre Dame, and after that call commenced, the Fighting Irish announced that they would be playing BYU in a home-and-home series for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. Riley hastily assumed that the immediate scheduling change was the 'fastest scheduling act in college football history.' 

Thus, with a rivalry dating back to 1926, it won't be until at least 2030. 

"I know there's been a lot of back and forth on it. 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.