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Lincoln Riley says he wants to keep Notre Dame rivalry, points to CFP format as crucial
By Paul Harvey
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Lincoln Riley has received some heat this offseason with reports that USC is considering an end to the longstanding rivalry with Notre Dame. That matchup is a long-running, prestigious nonconference affair with 95 overall meetings since 1926.
More than one traditional rivalry has fallen by the wayside in the new era of college football, and it’s possible the Trojans vs. the Fighting Irish could follow a similar path. However, Riley was adamant at Big Ten Media Days that he wants the series to continue.
On Thursday, Riley was asked about the series, and he doesn’t believe the timing of the matchup in the season has a major impact. He did point to the future format for the College Football Playoff as a significant factor in determining not only the future of the series but when the game might be played, but he also said getting to coach the rivalry was “the first thought” Riley had after accepting the job at USC.
“The rivalry — all these rivalries mean a great deal to me. They mean a great deal to anybody who cares about college football,” said Lincoln Riley. “Yes, I mean, do I want to play the game? Hell, yeah, I want to play the game. Absolutely. It’s one of the reasons I came here. All right?”
At the end of the day, Riley said his ultimate focus is on the best interests of USC and what works for the Trojans. He also pointed to adopting automatic qualifiers to the Playoff as a key consideration in the rivalry, as such a system would “preserve nonconference games that mean a lot to the history of the game.”
“I’m very hopeful we can get to a point where it makes sense. It’s one of those situations right now where the two schools are in radically different situations,” Riley conceded. “I think we can all agree with that, with one having a conference affiliation and one not.”
This year, the historical rivals are set for an Oct. 18 matchup in primetime, and DraftKings has set Notre Dame as an early 10.5-point favorite at home. The Fighting Irish have won the last 2 games in the series, giving Marcus Freeman a 2-1 head-to-head edge over Riley thus far.
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Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.