For nearly a century, the USC-Notre Dame game was a non-negotiable pillar of the college football season. Now, the new realities of conference realignment and playoff positioning have done what only a World War could do before: take it off the schedule. And former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer doesn’t like the development at all.

“I’ve coached in so many great ones, and I’ve coached in that one five or six times,” Urban Meyer said on The Triple Option, a weekly show he co-hosts with Rob Stone and Mark Ingram. “And it’s an incredible rivalry. It’s not as intense as the Ohio State vs. Wolverine rivalry, and it’s not as intense as the Florida vs. Georgia rivalry, because those are right there in your backyard. This is a cross-country rivalry, but it’s a legit one, and I’m heartbroken. I feel your pain.”

“Here’s what I’m hearing now, because schedule strength should matter, but it doesn’t. There are teams that won’t play Notre Dame anymore. So, who got out of that one? I’m not sure who did. That’s up to Notre Dame and USC to release whatever they want to release. But if I’m USC, why am I playing that game? I feel you, fans, and let your voice be heard. Notre Dame should play USC.”

The series, a cornerstone of college football for nearly a century with 96 meetings, has been a hard-fought battle, with Notre Dame holding a 51-37-5 edge. Its absence will be felt, as only World War II and the 2020 pandemic had previously managed to interrupt this historic matchup.

Now, they face an insurmountable challenge, as scheduling agreements could not be reached. The death of the rivalry majorly comes as a result of the Trojans pushing harder to make the college football playoffs. The conflict stems from the game’s traditional late-season placement, a crucial period for teams with playoff aspirations. The game is played in October, when Notre Dame hosts, and in the final week of the regular season, when it is hosted by USC.

Given that all the conferences have moved to a nine-game slate, every program looks for some winnable games in its non-conference schedule. That wasn’t the possibility for USC, as its Notre Dame game is considered a non-conference matchup. On the one hand, a win would have given the Trojans some extra strength-of-schedule marks, but a loss would have meant finishing out of the final two. This is what happened over the last two years, as USC fell to Notre Dame during a crucial stretch in their regular season.

Despite negotiations, representatives from both schools failed to reach an agreement to continue the series. USC is pushing the blame onto Notre Dame, which wasted no time in reaching a scheduling agreement with BYU. Regardless, there is the possibility of a revival. Both schools reached an agreement to resume the series in the 2030 season.

Lincoln Riley fires shots at Notre Dame

Despite Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman expressing his support for the rivalry’s continuity, USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley blamed Notre Dame for the cancellation. According to him, they did not fulfill their side of the deal.

“We took Notre Dame at their word that they would play us anytime and anywhere,” Riley said. “That proposal was rejected. Not only was it rejected, but five minutes after we got the call, it was announced that they had scheduled another opponent [BYU], which I’ll give them credit. That might be the fastest scheduling act in college football history.”

“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 and hopefully, continuing the series,” Riley said. “They did not follow through on it. Thus, we are not playing them for the next couple of years.”

Marcus Freeman’s story was a completely different one. Shortly before the rivalry ended, Freeman advocated for the game. But with the cancellation, the Irish head coach was either deceptive in his comments, or he simply had no say in the decision.

“Before I even got to Notre Dame, there are memories I have in my head of great plays in the USC-Notre Dame rivalry,” Freeman said on The Joel Klatt Show. “I think it’s important to continue that rivalry. If they ask my opinion, I want to continuously play USC every year.”

Fans will have to wait until 2030, when the rivalry is hopefully renewed.