On Monday, it was announced that USC and Notre Dame will resume their storied football rivalry in 2030. Barring a postseason meeting before then, however, the Trojans and Irish will not face each other for the next four years.
Back in December, USC signed the No. 1 recruiting class in the country. While these two things may seem unrelated, they are actually very much connected.
Admittedly, it has become increasingly rare in college football for a player to spend four years at one school. If any members of the Trojans’ 2026 signing class spend four years at USC, however, they would do so without getting to face Notre Dame a single time.
Dating back to 1926, the Trojans and Irish have never gone more than three years without playing one another (with
lone three-year hiatus coming from 1943-1945 due to World War II). Hence, USC’s 2026 freshmen are set to become the first class in more than a century to not face Notre Dame even once during their time on campus.
Ultimately, then, the Trojans’ 2026 signing class is the biggest loser of this ordeal. While USC not playing Notre Dame again until 2030 sucks for fans, most of us are not constrained by an NCAA eligibility clock. For many players, however, the next four years are the only time in their life that they will get to play college football.
One of the best parts about playing football at USC is getting to play in the historic rivalry with Notre Dame. Because it took the two schools so long to reach an agreement, however, one of the best recruiting classes that the Trojans have ever signed will never get to do so. For their sake, that is a massive shame.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC’s 2026 recruiting class is biggest loser of Notre Dame hiatus
