The University of Notre Dame and the University of Southern California (USC) have a historic football rivalry. The teams play for the Jeweled Shillelagh, a trophy that goes home with the winning team each year. The rivalry began on December 4, 1926, and the teams have played every year since except in 1943-45 and 2020. Notre Dame holds a 48-37-5 advantage over USC after USC vacated its 2005 win and the Fighting Irish vacated victories in 2012 and 2013. The rivalry is considered one of the most historic in all of college football, with both schools having won a combined 24 national championships and 14 Heisman Trophies through the 2021 season.