Notre Dame football schedule changes

In late July 2026 Notre Dame announced its season opener against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field and confirmed that the traditional rivalry with USC would be suspended for the 2026 season because the schools could not agree on a suitable date.

A week later Indiana University cancelled its upcoming home‑and‑home series with Notre Dame for the 2030 and 2031 seasons. To fill those open slots, Notre Dame revealed that the USC rivalry would be reinstated, scheduling four early‑season games from 2030 through 2034, with the first two set for Labor Day weekends in Los Angeles and South Bend.

On August 3, 2026 the schools detailed the revived series: a four‑game home‑and‑home arrangement beginning with a game at the Los Angeles Coliseum on August 31, 2030, followed by a return at South Bend on August 30, 2031. The 2032 and 2033 meetings will also be placed in the opening weeks of the season. USC and Notre Dame officials said the early dates align with USC’s new Big Ten schedule and support student‑athlete health, while Notre Dame highlighted the benefit to college football.

The agreement was formally signed on August 3, confirming the Jeweled Shillelagh Trophy will again be contested. Notre Dame cancelled the previously announced Indiana series to free the 2030 opening slot, eliminating a $250,000‑plus penalty clause and leaving Indiana without a non‑conference power‑team opponent for two years. Both programs expect national television coverage and heightened fan interest.