Notre Dame vs USCJeweled Shillelagh
An Irish club that gains a ruby Trojan head or an emerald shamrock after every Notre Dame-USC game.
Updated · BettorEdge
Notre Dame and USC are not on each other's schedule right now. The trophy stays with Notre Dame until they meet again. Notre Dame and USC paused the series after 2025; a four-game series resumes in 2030 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
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Start a pick'em contestHow the Jeweled Shillelagh came to be
The Notre Dame and USC series started on December 4, 1926, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where Notre Dame won 13-12.
The well-known story is that USC athletic director Gwynn Wilson's wife convinced Knute Rockne's wife that a trip to sunny Southern California every other year beat a trip to cold Nebraska, and she in turn won over Rockne. The historian Murray Sperber has argued that money and politics had more to do with it.
The Notre Dame Alumni Club of Los Angeles created the shillelagh and first presented it in 1952, calling it a symbol of the two schools' tradition, rivalry and mutual respect. According to USC Athletics, Vern Rickard suggested the idea and John Groen designed it.
The original club filled up with medallions after the 1989 game and was retired to a permanent display at Notre Dame. After USC won in 1996, Jim Gillis, a past president of the Notre Dame Club of Los Angeles who had played baseball at both schools, commissioned a slightly longer replacement. It was handcrafted in County Leitrim, Ireland, in 1997 and carries medallions from the 1990 game on.
The trophy itself. A foot-long Gaelic club made from Irish oak or blackthorn, engraved 'From the Emerald Isle' on its end. Each game adds a medallion: a ruby-studded Trojan head for a USC win, an emerald-studded shamrock for a Notre Dame win, and a combined Trojan head/shamrock for a tie. Medallions date back to the first game in 1926.
Jeweled Shillelagh history
- 1926
First meeting on December 4 at the Coliseum: Notre Dame 13, USC 12.
- 1952
The Notre Dame Alumni Club of Los Angeles introduces the Jeweled Shillelagh.
- 1974
USC erases a 24-0 deficit and beats Notre Dame 55-24, one of the most famous comebacks in the rivalry.
- 1988
No. 1 Notre Dame beats No. 2 USC 27-10 in Los Angeles in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup.
- 1996
USC wins 27-20 in overtime on November 30. It is the series' first overtime game, the end of a 13-game Trojan winless streak against the Irish, and Lou Holtz's last game as Notre Dame coach.
- 1997
A second shillelagh, handcrafted in County Leitrim, Ireland, replaces the original, which had run out of room after the 1989 game.
- 2005
USC wins the 'Bush Push' game in South Bend on a disputed final play. The win was later vacated under NCAA sanctions.
- 2025
Notre Dame beats USC 34-24 in South Bend on October 18 behind Jeremiyah Love's career-high 228 rushing yards and Jadarian Price's 100-yard kickoff return. It is the last scheduled meeting until 2030.
Recent results
| Season | Result | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish 34, USC Trojans 24 | Notre Dame Stadium |
| 2024 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish 49, USC Trojans 35 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum |
| 2023 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish 48, USC Trojans 20 | Notre Dame Stadium |
| 2022 | USC Trojans 38, Notre Dame Fighting Irish 27 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum |
| 2021 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish 31, USC Trojans 16 | Notre Dame Stadium |
Jeweled Shillelagh facts worth knowing
USC Athletics says oak and blackthorn are the only woods used because, according to legend, nothing else is tougher than an Irish skull.
Legend has it the original shillelagh was flown over from Ireland by Howard Hughes' pilot (USC Athletics tells the story as legend, not fact).
There are two shillelaghs. The original was filled up by 1989 and is on permanent display at Notre Dame, and the current one was handcrafted in County Leitrim in 1997.
Notre Dame went 13 straight games without losing to USC (1983-1995), and USC ended the run in overtime in Lou Holtz's final game as Irish coach.
The series goes on hiatus after 2025, so Notre Dame holds the shillelagh until at least the 2030 opener at the Coliseum.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Jeweled Shillelagh?+
The Jeweled Shillelagh is the trophy Notre Dame and USC play for in college football, first awarded in 1952. A foot-long Gaelic club made from Irish oak or blackthorn, engraved 'From the Emerald Isle' on its end. Each game adds a medallion: a ruby-studded Trojan head for a USC win, an emerald-studded shamrock for a Notre Dame win, and a combined Trojan head/shamrock for a tie. Medallions date back to the first game in 1926.
How did the Jeweled Shillelagh come to be?+
The Notre Dame and USC series started on December 4, 1926, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where Notre Dame won 13-12.
Who has the Jeweled Shillelagh right now?+
Notre Dame holds the Jeweled Shillelagh after winning the 2025 game, Notre Dame 34, USC 24. The live block on this page updates as soon as the next meeting is played.
Who leads the Notre Dame-USC series?+
Notre Dame leads the all-time series 51-37-5 as of the end of the 2025 season. In games played for the Jeweled Shillelagh since 1952, Notre Dame leads 36-30-3. Excludes vacated games (USC's 2005 win, Notre Dame's 2012 and 2013 wins). USC's own count is 53-37-5.
When is the next Jeweled Shillelagh game?+
No Notre Dame-USC game is on ESPN's schedule right now. Conference schedules rotate, so check back as the next season's slate is released.
Where can I bet on the Jeweled Shillelagh game?+
You can bet Notre Dame vs USC on BettorEdge, a peer-to-peer marketplace where you trade with other bettors rather than a sportsbook, so the price carries no built-in house vig. You can also run a free pick'em contest for the game with your group.
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Records and the current holder are as of the end of the 2025 season; the next-game block and recent results update from ESPN. Excludes vacated games (USC's 2005 win, Notre Dame's 2012 and 2013 wins). USC's own count is 53-37-5.Sources: en.wikipedia.org, usctrojans.com, usctrojans.com, espn.com.
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