USC · Big TenUSC loses its annual Notre Dame test, leaving NCAA resentment more visible
Notre Dame will not play USC this season, removing one of the Trojans’ two defining rivalries from the schedule. That absence brings a different USC question back into view: how much of the program’s identity is still shaped by its fight with the NCAA over Reggie Bush and the punishment that followed.
AUG 23, 2026
Years since the NCAA investigation into Reggie Bush began shaping USC’s public identity
01 · The NewsWhat Happened
Notre Dame will not play USC this season, a change that removes one of the Trojans’ main rivalry games alongside UCLA. Paolo Uggetti wrote that the schedule shift reshapes an older question around USC’s relationship with the NCAA. The program’s punishment after the Reggie Bush investigation included a bowl ban and vacated wins, including a national title. Uggetti noted that the anger has lingered for 16 years, especially as college football has moved toward a more professional model. USC’s fans still view the punishment as unusually harsh, and the absence of Notre Dame leaves that grievance with more room in the conversation.