Lincoln Riley ran scared out of Norman, Oklahoma, to avoid SEC competition, and he’s still running on the West Coast.
Riley was against Oklahoma’s move from the Big 12 to the SEC when he was the Sooners’ head coach. He ruled the flimsy Big 12 during his time at OU, but he squirmed at the idea of more competition and stouter defenses against his potent offense. Unable to stop the inevitable, Riley instead fled west.
Now, Riley and his new program are trying to avoid the biggest challenge on their schedule and again burn down tradition.
Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated reported Monday that the historic college football rivalry between the USC Trojans and Notre Dame Fighting Irish is on the brink of extinction as another casualty from conference realignment. The two teams have met 95 times during their storied histories.
USC-Notre Dame rivalry in jeopardy
According to Forde, the 2025 meeting between the two rivals is the final one scheduled on the current contract, and USC, where Riley is head coach, has no desire for the rivalry to continue after 2026. USC offered only a one-year extension for 2026, during which the Trojans would host in Los Angeles, while Notre Dame wants a long-term deal.
USC reportedly does not want a long-term deal because of the uncertain future of the College Football Playoff, plus added travel with the Trojans now in the Big Ten and frequently journeying to the Midwest. Notre Dame, though, has been dealing with traveling around the country long before conference realignment as an independent school and has still always made the 2,000-plus-mile trip to Southern California.
Being independent is Notre Dame’s choice, but it was also USC’s decision to blow up the Pac-12 and leave for the Big Ten. After one season, though, it seems the Trojans weren’t tough enough for the travel schedule and a conference that actually plays defense. USC went 7-6 and 4-5 in conference play last year in its first season in the Big Ten.
USC might be trapped in the Big Ten, but Riley and the Trojans are still sprinting toward every available exit that could lead to an easier road.
Read more about OU football