Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

Known as the greatest intersectional rivalry in college football, these two teams have been playing since 1926 with Notre Dame leading the all-time series 45-36-5. The two teams are historically national powerhouses, and this matchup has decided who plays for the national championship on multiple occasions. In fact, these two programs combine for the most national championships (11 each), Heisman winners (7 each), and All-Americans/Hall of Famers (12 each) of any collegiate football rivalry. The two programs are also tied for the most players taken in the NFL Draft (479 each) and the USC-ND games throughout the years have accounted for 5 of the top 10 most-watched college football games ever. The trophy for this rivalry is the Jeweled Shillelagh which is an old Irish symbol that is fitted with either a new green or red jewel every year depending on who wins the matchup.

The term cross-town rivalry doesn’t accurately describe how interconnected these two fan bases are and thus the intensity of this annual rivalry. The two schools are both located in the city of Los Angeles with just twelve miles separating the two campuses. During a few seasons in the 1980s the two schools both played their home games at the LA Coliseum, and as a result, when they played each other both teams wore their home uniforms. This tradition was revived in 2008 despite the fact the two schools no longer share a venue. The winner of this annual matchup has been awarded the Victory Bell since 1941. USC is leading the trophy series 39-31-4.

USC’s oldest rival is the Stanford Cardinal as the matchup between these two dates all the way back to 1905. USC has dominated the rivalry historically holding the 61-29-3 all-time series lead.

These two teams have been playing one another since 1915. No team in history has lost to USC more than Cal, with the all-time record 67-30-5 in favor of USC. USC has won the past eleven meetings, dating back to 2003.