Marcus Freeman wants USC-Notre Dame football rivalry played every season

Marcus Freeman couldn't be any more clear on his opinion of the Notre Dame-USC rivalry.

The head coach of the Irish football program believes the two programs should continue to meet on an annual basis.

“It’s a great rivalry for all of college football," Freeman said Thursday in an interview session with several local beat writers. "If it was up to me, we would play them every single year for the rest of college football time. It’s pretty black-and-white for me.

"You want my opinion? I want to play them every single year. When? I don’t care. I don’t care when we play them. Start of the season, middle of the season, end of season — I don’t care. I want to play USC every year, because I think it’s great for college football."

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The future of the Notre Dame-USC series made headlines last week when Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde highlighted the fact that the Oct. 18 game in Notre Dame Stadium later this year is the only currently scheduled between the two programs. Forde reported USC has offered a one-year extension of the scheduling contract to host a home game in Los Angeles in 2026, but Notre Dame turned down the offer in hopes of securing a long-term agreement.

The two teams have played 95 times in a series that began in 1926 that's only been interrupted by World War II in the 1943-45 seasons and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. But the future of the annual series has come into question with USC's recent arrival in the Big Ten and an unsettled College Football Playoff format beyond the 2025 season.

Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua seems to be on the same page with Freeman.

“I think Southern Cal and Notre Dame should play every year for as long as college football is played, and SC knows that’s how we feel," Bevacqua told Forde.

USC associate athletic director Cody Worsham also offered a quote to Forde.

"We want the USC–Notre Dame rivalry to continue, which is why we offered an extension of our agreement," Worsham said. "It’s a special game to our fans and our institution. We will continue to work with Notre Dame on scheduling future games.”

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Negotiations to nail down the future of the rivalry remain ongoing. Both sides will likely blame the other if it doesn't continue. But whatever changes come won't be at the demand of Freeman.

“It’s great for college football that rivalry, USC-Notre Dame," Freeman said. "Before I even got to Notre Dame, everybody watched that game. Everybody remembers moments from that game that just stick out in your mind. If Pete or [deputy athletic director of football] Ron [Powlus] or anybody asks me, that’s how I feel. Everybody knows that’s how I feel.

“But also I’m not the one dealing with the administration part of scheduling games. I think it’s important that we continue this rivalry.”

Freeman is 2-1 against USC in his three full seasons as Notre Dame's head coach. He lost at USC against Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, 38-27, to end the 2022 regular season. The Irish got their revenge against Williams when he came to Notre Dame Stadium in 2023 with a 48-20 Notre Dame win. Notre Dame beat USC, 49-35, in Los Angeles at the end of November last year.

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