The battle for the coveted Jeweled Shillelagh is on halt as one of college football’s most notable rivalries is taking a break next season.
USC and Notre Dame failed to come to an agreement that would bring both teams to play against each other in 2026. The schools announced the decision in a joint statement on Monday morning despite months of negotiations to keep it alive. The Trojans and Fighting Irish have met consecutively for 78 seasons, outside of two brief pauses due to World War II and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“USC and Notre Dame recognize how special our rivalry is to our fans, our teams, and college football, and our institutions will continue working towards bringing back The Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh,” the statement read. “The rivalry between our two schools is one of the best in all of sport, and we look forward to meeting again in the future.”
The Trojans are 37-51-5 all-time against the Fighting Irish, having lost the last three consecutive games while under head coach Lincoln Riley’s tenure. Their most recent matchup was a 34-24 loss to the Irish on October 18.
The decision comes as a result of “scheduling complications” and the future of the College Football Playoff (CFP), according to sources close to both schools. Both schools were allegedly close to agreeing to a two-year extension, where USC would host in 2026 and return to South Bend, Indiana in 2027. However, USC officials backed out of the deal after deciding that the timing would not work with the future of the CFP’s playoff considerations and formatting, according to the L.A. Times.
The series would likely not return until 2030, at the earliest.
USC was attempting to move the game earlier into its schedule, considering the CFP’s consideration of late season losses. The Trojans will arguably have a tougher Big Ten schedule next year compared to this season. USC athletic director Jen Cohen discussed the focus on the road to championships through conference play rather than scheduling tough non-conference opponents.
“Playing nine games annually in the toughest conference in college football to qualify for a playoff for which future selection criteria remain uncertain, we have a limited number of strategic levers to pull in pursuit of that goal,” Cohen said in a statement last month.
Notre Dame has already announced a replacement home-and-home schedule against the BYU Cougars through 2027. However, USC will have to search for another non-conference opponent to fill the new schedule slot. The Trojans are currently scheduled to face Fresno State and Louisiana in their 2026 non-conference schedule.