Notre Dame’s annual rivalry against USC is one of the most storied feuds in college football history, but it hangs in the balance amid sweeping schedule changes across the sport. Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman shared strong sentiments about the future of the rivalry during a Thursday press briefing.

“It’s pretty black and white for me,” Freeman stated, as reported by the South Bend Tribune. “You want my opinion? I want to play them every single year. When? I don’t care. I don’t care when we play them: Start of the season, middle of the season, end of the season. I don’t care.”

This year’s Oct. 18 meeting will mark the conclusion of the current contract between the Fighting Irish and the Trojans. Recent reports suggest that USC is hesitant to commit to a long-term extension, worrying about potential changes to the College Football Playoff formats, which could increase the number of games on an already demanding schedule, along with the challenging travel involved with USC’s participation in the Big Ten.

“I want to play USC every year because I think it’s great for college football: that rivalry, USC-Notre Dame,” Freeman emphasized. “Before I even got to Notre Dame, everybody watched that game. Everybody remembers moments from that game that just stick out in their mind.”

Freeman’s comments resonate with those previously expressed by Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua.

“I think Southern Cal and Notre Dame should play every year for as long as college football is played, and SC knows that’s how we feel,” Bevacqua stated in May.