The long-tenured, traditionalist faction of college football fans is vexed and hurting. The sport is steadily transforming into a far cry from what they initially fell in love with. Modern appendages such as NIL, the transfer portal, and an expanded CFP have fanned the flames of this negative outlook and resentment. But in one way or another, all of these do serve the game and the fan. Either by making it a more level playing field or by being more entertaining, simply by virtue of more high-stakes playoff games. There is one trend, though, that is at the crux of this negativity. An attack on the traditional values of college football like no other—mass conference realignment. The ugly byproducts of which are now emerging, and boy, are they ugly. Especially for Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame.

When USC President Carol Folt pushed for the Trojans to leave the Pac-12, she blazed a trail that others have followed. Fellow Pacific coast dwellers, Oregon and UCLA, reconvened with them in the Big 10. Moves that influenced programs all the way in the southeast. Texas and Oklahoma, historical bluebloods synonymous with tradition, left the Big 12 to join the SEC. All these programs’ fans and communities were quite literally uprooted. The Cali teams and Oregon essentially asked their fans to travel across the country with regularity if they wished to see them in the flesh. A travesty. Why? Mostly just to maximize money for these schools. But somehow, this isn’t even the biggest gripe that USC fans will have from their school’s brass and realignment. Not just USC fans but their arch-nemesis as well. Twistedly, Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame just got caught in the crossfire.

The USC-Notre Dame rivalry almost transcends college football. The two have tussled for over a century now, and it’s basically etched in American culture. They’ve competed 95 times for the Jeweled Shillelagh Trophy since 1924. Even for the uninitiated casual fan who isn’t familiar with the animosity, that stat alone epitomizes it. However, it’s unfortunately on the verge of ending. The two schools reportedly haven’t been able to reach an agreement on scheduling the game.

This means the upcoming one in the ‘25 season could be the last time the Trojans and the Irish meet for a very, very long time. In the aftermath of this development, Lincoln Riley himself bemoaned it. But Marcus Freeman and co. have been dealt more damage. You’d think the disagreement had to do with money. But one analyst has shrewdly pointed out how it’s a tentacle of USC’s realignment to the B1G.

Speaking over the “Get Ba-l See Ba-l” podcast with Georgia legend David Pollack, co-host Brent Rollins lamented what’s coming down the pipeline. Before reasoning why it’s come to this. And how USC are the culprits, for lack of a better term. “This doesn’t shock me at all. USC is in the Big 10. Now they’ve got to worry about playing the Big 10 [schedule]. As much as their fans love the rivalry, that’s another possible L on their schedule. Notre Dame, of course, wants to play it because they need it. They need it for their schedule to look relevant in a way,” said Rollins.

Interestingly, Notre Dame did offer to at least play the game in 2026. Until a longer-term deal can be struck. But USC seemingly declined, and the reason is now apparent.

Being independent means Notre Dame has a lot more flexibility for scheduling fixtures. But they do need a strong one to please the playoff committee, and USC was omnipresent to enhance that itinerary. A definite step back for Coach Freeman. David Pollack also chimed in on affairs and brought forth a different perspective. While also warning fans that this is becoming a recurring, prevalent theme.

Marcus Freeman isn’t the only head coach who is having to pivot away from rivalry games

“It’s a more important game for Notre Dame, obviously…We continue to lose things that you grew up watching. That you absolutely love, that you want to see more of. How many rivalries that we lost along the way because of this? That’s the cost of doing business, and that’s going to continue to be the cost of doing business moving forward,” said David Pollack, who’s been spilling the beans on other topical occurrences in the CFB sphere recently. He even mentioned how the fabled Bedlam series between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State came to an abrupt end because of OU realigning. 

Other rivalries, such as Colorado-Nebraska and Florida-Miami, are also under threat and in flux right now for a variety of reasons. With their future schedules also up in the air. For a sport that’s been built upon its tight-knit communities, losing all these rivalry games really is terrible. Not just in the micro, but in the macro POV. 

Well, Lincoln Riley and USC sure will hope the additional $63 million they’re getting in broadcasting revenue from the B1G compared to the Pac-12 is worth it all. As for Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame, they’re now in limbo. It was always a risk that this would happen when they chose to remain independent. It has its merits, but it also has its drawbacks. Maybe the Jeweled Shillelagh being subjected to collecting dust nudges the Irish towards re-evaluating their stance on staying independent.