This might be the Last dance for one of the best rivalries in college football history. You might wanna circle October 18, 2025, on your calendar, because the legendary, time-honored, transcontinental fistfight between USC and Notre Dame might be breathing its last breaths. It’s not official yet, but the smoke’s getting heavy. College football’s golden-age vibe is getting slapped in the face by modern-day playoff paranoia and Big Ten travel fatigue. And if this breaks, it’ll be USC’s big million Big Ten sugar rush that killed it.

That bag might’ve been too heavy to carry the tradition along.

After nearly a century of lacing up against each other every fall, USC and Notre Dame suddenly find themselves in a real-life break-up talk. According to Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde, the iconic rivalry—played 95 times since 1924—is hanging by a thread. The final game in the current contract lands in 2025, with USC offering a one-year patch-up job in 2026. Notre Dame isn’t having it. They want a ring (long-term contract). USC’s out here fumbling with commitment issues.

The reason? The Trojans’ move to the Big Ten last year gave them a truckload of cash and a scheduling migraine. USC’s getting nearly double the TV money ($63 million) they used to get in the Pac-12. But that Big Ten paycheck comes with strings—9 conference games, brutal Midwest travel, and a strength-of-schedule headache that might make even Lincoln Riley break into a cold sweat.

And now? One of the greatest rivalries in college football history is on the chopping block. For what? A little playoff positioning? A little travel convenience? Boy, if that isn’t modern college football in a nutshell… First, let’s call it what it is—this rivalry’s being boxed out by a boardroom full of calendar stress and CFP anxiety. USC says they’re worried about the future of the 12-team playoff format and how it fits into their beefed-up Big Ten gauntlet. Lincoln Riley already sounded the alarm earlier this offseason, questioning how any team’s supposed to survive the playoffs with a schedule stacked top-to-bottom like Michigan, Penn State, Washington, Notre Dame, and maybe LSU? C’mon now. That’s not a schedule, that’s a punishment.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame’s out here locking in a 12-year series with Clemson starting in 2027. Yeah, they still got space for USC, but they’re clearly not banking their entire fall schedule on it. And that Clemson deal counts toward their ACC obligations—meaning fewer free slots for USC if things don’t get signed now.

Lance Taylor and Jim Brown broke it down on the Next Round podcast: “You signed up for that geography when you went to the Big Ten to get more money,” said Taylor. “And are we really going to sacrifice this rivalry just to play teams like Rutgers and Maryland?” Jim Brown doubled down: “If this dies, it wasn’t sacrificed for expansion in the College Football Playoff. I mean, 100%.”

Notre Dame’s 2025 slate already includes Texas A&M, Miami, NC State, Boston College, and now USC. They got smoke from all directions. If USC bails, they won’t be short of juice. But that doesn’t mean they want to see this tradition fade out. This is a game that means something. Every year. Whether USC’s up, Notre Dame’s up, or both are just trying to stay off life support.

Rivalry isn’t dead yet, but it’s definitely on life support

Sports Illustrated reported that USC has suggested moving the rivalry to the season opener. But Notre Dame wants the tradition right where it’s always been—late October, cold weather, under the lights. As Pete Bevacqua said, “I think Southern Cal and Notre Dame should play every year for as long as college football is played.” USC’s side? Cody Worsham said they still want the game too: “It’s a special game to our fans and our institution.” But notice the language—it’s all PR-safe. That doesn’t scream urgency. It sounds more like ‘we’ll see if it fits the vibe’.

And the travel excuse? That’s a cute one. USC’s already locked into flying cross-country six times a year thanks to the Big Ten. One more trip to South Bend isn’t gonna break the plane budget. It just sounds like somebody doesn’t wanna catch an L mid-season that derails their playoff hopes. Because, again, now it’s all about CFP optics.

Look—college football’s shifting. Nobody’s denying that. But that doesn’t mean you have to throw away the stuff that matters. The USC-Notre Dame game has carried this sport through decades of chaos. Wars. Pandemics. Conference chaos. And now we might lose it over travel miles and playoff seeding? Come on, man. Lincoln Riley might be the only one who can truly save this. He’s already under the microscope in Year 2 of this Big Ten experiment. But if he’s serious about keeping USC’s identity intact, keeping the Notre Dame rivalry alive has to be part of that blueprint.

This isn’t just a game – it’s a heartbeat. It’s Anthony Davis (Not the Hooper AD) jumping over the line. It’s Bush Push. And it’s Rocket Ismail. And it’s Paul Hornung and Reggie Bush. It’s all the moments that built these programs into brands that matter. You don’t throw that in the trash just because Rutgers is now on the calendar. So yeah, maybe the $63 million Big Ten check padded USC’s wallet. But if this rivalry dies because of it? That bag just bought them a loss in the soul column. And college football already has enough of those.