Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman makes case for rivalry with USC to continue
Recently, the future of the USC-Notre Dame rivalry has come into question. Although the two storied programs have met every season but one since World War II, they have not extended the series contract beyond the 2026 season. According to reports over the last month, the future of college football's greatest intersectional rivalry appears to be in serious jeopardy.
Recently, in an interview with Fox sports college football analyst Joel Klatt, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman stressed the importance of continuing his program's rivalry with the Trojans.
"I mean, you know, you think about rivalries, and I'm sure you can go back to when you played high school football or maybe even before that," Freeman said. "I think back to my high school years, right, and I was from Ohio, played at a high school named Hubert Heights Wayne. Our big rival was Centerville Elks. The guys that come from Centerville that you might know – AJ Hawk, Kirk Herbstreit, Mike Nugent, some really great players. But, that was a huge rivalry, right. Then you go to Ohio State and you play Michigan every year.
"The thing about rivalry games is nobody cares what the record is. You win that game, you view that season as a success.
"Before I ever got to Notre Dame, there's memories I have in my head of great plays in the USC-Notre Dame rivalry. And, I think it's important to continue that rivalry.
"If they ask my opinion, I want to continuously play USC every year, you know? It takes both parties to tangle, right, and it's got to fit both institutions and, you know, they're in a conference and we're not. When do we play? All of those different things. But, I think it's important that we continue to have this rivalry."
For one of the most storied rivalries in the sport to come to an end would be a true college football travesty. Hopefully—for the sake of all football fans—Freeman will get his way, and the two schools will be able to work out an agreement to extend the series long-term.
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