Former USC players lament potential loss of Notre Dame rivalry
Right now, the storied USC-Notre Dame rivalry appears it could be in serious jeopardy. The two schools do not have an extension to the series scheduled beyond 2026, and according to reports, they appear to be far apart on terms.
Naturally, the news has not been positively received within the USC community. In the days following the news, several former Trojan players have lamented the possibility of the rivalry ending.
"Losing the SC vs Notre Dame will be the dumbest thing I've ever witnessed," former USC offensive lineman Zach Banner tweeted. "My love and passion for that rivalry is 1 of the biggest reasons I moved my life to SoCal…"
In addition, former USC running back Petros Papadakis, now an LA sports radio host and Fox Sports college football analyst, ripped Trojan head coach Lincoln Riley for allegedly trying to get out of the series.
"College football has been taken over by the television companies, one of which I work for as you know," Papadakis said in an interview with John Canzano on sports radio 750 The Game in Portland, Oregon. "But honestly none of that in my opinion has anything to do with USC-Notre Dame, and should not have anything to do with USC-Notre Dame. And that's the beauty of USC-Notre Dame is that it transcends conference realignment, it transcends the NIL, and it transcends all of these different twists and turns in the sport. If it can survive World Wars it should be able to survive the selfishness and the absolute myopic nature of the era we live in.
"It's ridiculous to think that it wouldn't. Because Lincoln Riley doesn't like it? Who the hell is Lincoln Riley in the grand scheme of things when it comes to USC and Notre Dame?
"Lincoln Riley trying to wriggle out of Notre Dame. I've got news for you, if you can't beat Maryland or Minnesota, what the hell are you worried about playing Notre Dame or not. Collect the revenue. USC is not even close to competing. And if they were fourth in the Big Ten, trust me having Notre Dame on their resume, win or lose, is a lot better than beating someone 60-0 that is Missouri State. It's just very sad to me . . . any argument being made, the Big Ten, travel, all of this stuff. It all goes by the wayside. It's USC-Notre Dame. There's billions of dollars involved and the players are getting paid. Are you kidding? We're not going to play this? It's the dumbest thing I've heard in my life."
Papadakis is certainly known for being a bit of a contrarian, and he has a noted history of negativity on air towards his alma mater. But he does make some valid points. Riley has been at USC for less than four years, and the expanded college football playoff has existed for less than one. For those two things to cause the end of one of college football's greatest rivalries that has been around for nearly a century would truly be a shame.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
9 minutes ago
- USA Today
Former USC RB Raleek Brown earns new chance with 2024 playoff team
Three years ago, Raleek Brown looked like the future of USC's running back room. A highly-rated local recruit, Brown had more than 400 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns as a true freshman in 2022, and looked poised to play an even bigger role in the years to come. Entering his sophomore season, however, USC's coaching staff wanted to switch Brown from running back to wide receiver. This frustrated Brown, and he instead elected to redshirt in 2023 and transfer. Brown transferred to Arizona State ahead of the 2024 season. Although the Sun Devils won the Big 12 and made it to the College Football Playoff last year, however, a hamstring injury forced Brown to miss the vast majority of the season. Now, he is back with the team and looking to earn more playing time in 2025. In a recent feature, Michelle Gardner of AZ Central discussed Brown's journey and his new role with the Sun Devils this fall. '[Brown] looks like he will be the Sun Devils' primary kick return specialist come Aug. 30 when the Sun Devils face Northern Arizona in the season opener at Mountain America Stadium,' Gardner wrote. 'Few in the ASU camp are more excited than Brown about that season opener. In 2024, he was limited to nine carries in two games due to a hamstring issue that began early in fall camp, then was aggravated when he tried to play a month later. He redshirted in 2023 at USC before coming to ASU, so it has been two years since he got to experience that game-day feeling. Brown watched from the sideline as the Sun Devils soared to a Big 12 championship and berth in the Peach Bowl. He was happy to be part of the team, but felt like he was missing out by not being able to participate. ''I've been thinking about this, dreaming about this," Brown said. "It's all I can think about, being out there in that first game. Every day I think about it.'' Brown is one of a number of decorated recruits to sign with USC under Lincoln Riley and transfer out within two years. While each player obviously had his own unique reasons for leaving, the Trojans will need to do a better job retaining talent moving forward.
USA Today
39 minutes ago
- USA Today
USC baseball signs head coach Andy Stankiewicz to contract extension through 2030 season
Andy Stankiewicz is officially going to be sticking around USC for a while. On Saturday, the Trojans announced that they have signed their head baseball coach to a contract extension through the 2030 season. Stankiewicz just led USC baseball to their best campaign in nearly two decades. The Trojans qualified for their first NCAA Tournament since 2015 and made it to the final of the Corvallis regional, where they fell to Oregon State in the decisive seventh game. If USC wants to make it back to the NCAA Tournament in 2026, they will have to do so without their two best players from this past season. Two-way sensation Ethan Hedges was drafted in the third round of the MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies and signed with the team, while star pitcher Caden Aoki transferred to Georgia for his final year of eligibility. While Hedges and Aoki will be tough to replace, however, the Trojans should return many key players from their NCAA Tournament run. In addition, after two years without an on-campus stadium, USC should finally be able to begin playing at the new Dedeaux Field next spring. In recent years, the storied USC baseball program seemed to have lost its way a bit. But with Stankiewicz at the helm for years to come, the future for the Trojans appears to be trending upward.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
How many years does LSU football coach Brian Kelly have left on his contract?
LSU football coach Brian Kelly is gearing up for year four at the helm of LSU's program. That means it's time for an annual check-in on Kelly's contract with LSU. LSU hired Kelly in late 2021 after the veteran coach had a lengthy tenure at Notre Dame. LSU had to pay up and offered Kelly a 10-year deal worth $95 million. With three years in the books, Kelly is under contract for seven more years at LSU. Kelly, 63, would be 70 when the deal expires. According to the USA TODAY Sports coach salary database, Kelly was the No. 8 highest-paid coach in the sport last year. Kelly's total pay was $9,975,000 in 2024. As of Dec. 1, 2024, Kelly's buyout was $61,738,333. LSU would have owed Kelly 90% of his total remaining salary. We don't know the exact details for the 2025 buyout yet, but it's likely a similar structure. LSU doesn't expect to be considering that buyout this year, though. Given the talent on this LSU roster, the Tigers are expected to compete for the SEC title and a College Football Playoff appearance.
