The B1G has had a policy for a number of years that conference games will be played between the first weekend in October, ending the last weekend in November. Non-conference games are required to be scheduled between the first and last weekends in September. Those schedule requirements have worked well for several years.
With the new Big Ten schedule announced yesterday. USC’s home game with Notre Dane was maintained for the last weekend of the season and their ‘26 game in South Bend for mid-October, the traditional home-away dates for that series.
The ‘Domers are laughing at the Big Ten, many saying “We play who, when and where we choose—we’re Notre Dame.”
What’s the deal? Did the conference office cave to the USC-Notre Dame demand that they their games be scheduled on their traditional dates? How does Notre Dame and a brand new conference member have such influence? There doesn’t appear to be any other non-conference games scheduled after the end of September by any other conference member.
Are the Domers right, that they can ‘get their way’ with the Big Ten, even without being a member? Or is there another explanation?
With the new Big Ten schedule announced yesterday. USC’s home game with Notre Dane was maintained for the last weekend of the season and their ‘26 game in South Bend for mid-October, the traditional home-away dates for that series.
The ‘Domers are laughing at the Big Ten, many saying “We play who, when and where we choose—we’re Notre Dame.”
What’s the deal? Did the conference office cave to the USC-Notre Dame demand that they their games be scheduled on their traditional dates? How does Notre Dame and a brand new conference member have such influence? There doesn’t appear to be any other non-conference games scheduled after the end of September by any other conference member.
Are the Domers right, that they can ‘get their way’ with the Big Ten, even without being a member? Or is there another explanation?
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