Schools want Trojans, Irish to keep historic football rivalry going

After a public uproar, USC makes amended offer to Notre Dame to extend their series.

- BY RYAN KARTJE

GINA FERAZZI Los Angeles Times MAKAI LEMON and the Trojans fell to Notre Dame at the Coliseum last season.

Ater a public uproar over the potential end of their 100-year old football rivalry, USC has made an amended offer to Notre Dame that would extend the annual series for multiple years beyond this season, USC athletic director Jennifer Cohen told The Times.

Negotiations remain ongoing between the two schools, but Cohen said she is "really hopeful" that USC's new offer, which better accommodates Notre Dame's preference for a long-term deal, would lead to an agreement "very soon."

"We're trying to extend the series," Cohen said. "This is an important series for us and for our fans and for our program, and hopefully we get to a resolution that supports that and is in the best interest of our program."

USC leaders were previously reluctant to commit to a long-term extension of the rivalry with Notre Dame, given the uncertainty of the College Football Playoff and the new demands of a Big Ten travel schedule. With the contract between the two schools set to expire, USC initially offered to extend the series through 2026 and revisit its future beyond that at a later date.