Luke Smith on the Return of the Notre Dame-USC Rivalry & Whether Notre Dame Won the Offseason

The Notre Dame-USC rivalry is officially back, but the new agreement raises major questions about scheduling, the future of the series, and whether the Irish compromised too much to make it happen. On today's episode of Locked On Irish, host Tyler Wojciak welcomes Luke Smith back to the show to break down Notre Dame and USC's newly announced four-year scheduling agreement, discuss what it means for one of college football's greatest rivalries, and evaluate whether the timing of the games favors either side. Tyler and Luke then grade Notre Dame's entire offseason—from recruiting, the transfer portal, coaching changes, and the new SoFi partnership to the opening of Shields Family Hall—and debate whether Marcus Freeman and the Irish had one of the best offseasons in college football.