The whispers started circulating in May 2025 that the legendary USC Trojans-Notre Dame Fighting Irish rivalry was hanging by a thread. When December confirmed the unthinkable, no showdown in 2026, it struck a nerve with Trojan great Keyshawn Johnson. The USC alum didn’t hold back and pulled head coach Lincoln Riley into the debate, questioning his future.

“We got a head coach that knows nothing about being a Trojan,” Johnson sounded upset. “I had Lincoln Riley saying, ‘Well, I don’t know if I want to play them in the future.’ You ain’t gonna be here in the future! Especially if you keep missing the playoffs… We need Trojans doing Trojan things. We don’t need impostors coming in trying to do Trojan things.”

Months of negotiations and plenty of posturing became fruitless. USC and Notre Dame walked away without a pact to continue the storied rivalry.

Momentum was building toward extending the series around the time of the October clash in South Bend. A source told The Times that Riley and Co. were prepared to meet in the middle and preserve the rivalry. It included a 2026 visit from Notre Dame to the Coliseum.

Then what made Riley land in Keyshawn’s blacklist?

With Notre Dame shut out of the expanded playoff, Yahoo dropped a bombshell report that CFP officials had agreed to guarantee the Irish a spot, starting from 2026, if they finished in the top 12.

Notre Dame’s behind-the-scenes agreement with CFP leadership blindsided USC officials. To Riley’s Trojans, the deal looked like a clear competitive edge for Notre Dame.

The Irish already benefit from independence and flexible scheduling, whereas schools like Riley’s USC are locked into conference constraints. That revelation changed everything. USC was also concerned that a late-season loss in a rivalry game could significantly damage its playoff chances. On the other hand, early-season rivalry stumbles historically carry less weight. 

Once athletic director Jennifer Cohen learned of the agreement, she pulled the plug on compromise talks. So, what was the final decision? They informed Notre Dame that the rivalry would have to be moved to Week Zero or scrapped entirely. This did not sit well with Johnson, who, after wrapping up his USC chapter, had signed a $20 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys.

A unanimous All-American in 1995, Johnson also placed seventh in the Heisman race. He earned MVP honors in the 1995 Cotton Bowl and the 1996 Rose Bowl.

To the alum, Riley and Co.’s move came off as ducking smoke rather than defending their principles. Once the Trojans learned Notre Dame had a CFP safety net that could cushion a late-season loss, USC abruptly backed away. 

The crux of the USC–Notre Dame scheduling dispute comes down to timing. Riley’s squad argues that facing the Irish in the middle of a brutal Big Ten slate would hurt their College Football Playoff résumé. With 2026 matchups already lined up against Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, and Washington, USC sees the added rivalry game as a competitive risk. 

This presents a test for Riley to cool his hot seat. 

A rivalry dead due to playoff math

USC and Notre Dame have gone toe-to-toe every year since 1926, except twice. That is outside of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, and a brief World War II pause in the 1940s. That’s why Riley’s program pulling the plug now feels like a gut punch. After all, the fans and the legends like Keyshawn Johnson grew up on this rivalry.

Then the playoff calculus comes into play. The Trojans were hovering on the edge before Oregon. But the Illinois loss may have done the most damage, regardless of the loss count. Falling to Notre Dame only complicated matters, as the Irish would’ve had the edge in any head-to-head comparison. 

With Notre Dame ultimately left out of the playoff in a surprise decision, USC’s path back to national relevance still looks like a work in progress. USC will face TCU in the Alamo Bowl on December 30 at 6 p.m. PT in San Antonio. But tensions are looming high in Riley’s camp.