After months of stalled negotiations and clashes over contract terms, longtime rivals USC and Notre Dame will not face off in college football in 2026.

One of Notre Dame's longest-standing college football rivalries is coming to an end. On Monday, the Fighting Irish announced a two-game series with the BYU Cougars in 2026 and 2027. This effectively puts an end to the annual Notre Dame-USC rivalry, whose contract expired in 2025.

Notre Dame and USC were on the verge of finalizing a two-year extension in November, Yahoo reports, though USC officials backed out after determining that the timing of the proposed game was not ideal given the CFP selection committee's tendency to punish late-season losses.

Notre Dame and Southern California's iconic college football rivalry is on hold. The Fighting Irish announced Monday they filled their last 2026 open date with a game against BYU.

Notre Dame talked tough but then bailed when it mattered. USC felt insecure enough about its Big Ten situation to push a deal the Irish didn't want. Both sides look bad, and fans of both schools need to be mature enough to admit it, rather than pointing the finger only at the other side.