SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- More often than not, Marcus Freeman is decidedly savvy with the media; he says plenty without, at times, revealing very much.
Thursday, in a small-group setting with select reporters, Freeman did not mince words when asked about the Notre Dame-USC cross-country football rivalry that's closing in on its 100th anniversary -- but also facing possible extinction.
"Where I feel about USC is very clear," Freeman told FootballScoop. "We would love to play them every single year. It doesn't matter when we play them. I would love to continue the rivalry as long as I'm the head coach here.
"I think rivalries are great for college football, and I think they're great for sports because that's the one game of year you throw out records, you throw out (everything). And I've been a part of some of the greatest rivalries that there's been."
The two teams are scheduled to meet in South Bend, Indiana, in mid-October, and numerous sources have told FootballScoop in recent weeks that there is some interest from both sides to continue the rivalry. There's also, per sources and other media reports, a one-year extension on the table.
Now a resident of the Big Ten Conference, USC has nine guaranteed league games against fellow Big Ten members and has indicated it believes it's in a much better position of leverage for future negotiations with the Fighting Irish. One such measure could be potentially consecutive home games for USC against Notre Dame in 2026-27 in order to resume the rivalry on a long-term basis, FootballScoop has been told.
Regardless, Freeman emphasized his desire to keep rivalries alive in college football and particularly one that has seen him win two of the first three head-to-head meetings as head coach -- as well as notching a win in his season as defensive coordinator for Notre Dame in 2021.
"I think back at the high school (level) when we (at Wayne High School) played this team called the Centerville Elks, where AJ Hawk, we were trying to go after this guy named AJ Hawk and because it was a rivalry, Kirk Herbstreit (also had earlier) went there. It was a huge rivalry," said Freeman, 17-3 in his last 20 games at the helm of the Irish and coming off a College Football Playoff runner-up finish. "You go [look at the] Ohio State-Michigan rivalry. Those contests are extremely important, I think, for all sports, and USC-Notre Dame is one that fits right into that category.
"And, so, I think it's great for college football, and it's important for us and I mean I'm very clear on wanting to continue that."
Notre Dame has a 13-game edge in the overall series and has particularly dominated the cross-country battle for the 'Jeweled Shillelagh' since 2010, going 10-4 against the Trojans during that span.