USC Week Zero Desires Gives Hope For Hawai'i-USC Series

USC’s occasional season-opening clashes with Hawai’i during the 2000s and early 2010s were a welcome sight to open the college football season. The schools have only met nine times, but USC and Hawai’i commonly crossed paths in the 2000s, playing five times. Despite the disparity between the two programs, the series had multiple memorable moments.

There was the 49-36 shootout in 2010, when Matt Barkley threw five touchdowns to survive Hawai’i’s 459 passing yards on the opening Thursday night of the season. Some may recall USC falling behind 5-3 in the second quarter to an eventual 1-11 Hawai’i squad before struggling to a 30-13 win in another nationally-televised Thursday night season opener in 2013.

Nonetheless, these games seem like a distant memory. USC has not played Hawai’i since 2013, and more Power Four teams are avoiding visiting Hawai’i. Now, USC’s new scheduling philosophy could breathe new life into the dormant series. The Big Ten released USC’s schedule last night with an opening to be announced in Week Zero. The move aligns with a desire to schedule a Week Zero game to create a second bye week for the Trojans later in the season, as the Los Angeles Times’ Ryan Kartje reported on December 22nd.

While USC’s desire to do this on a yearly basis is unclear, it does bring hope for USC-Hawai’i. In the best-case scenario, USC makes its return to the island to play Hawai’i in Week Zero. The Warriors do not have a Week Zero opening until 2028, but there is enough time to shift dates with other non-conference opponents. However, this seems unlikely given USC’s rigorous Big Ten travel schedule, an issue that may have factored into Oregon’s cancellation of their 2024 game at Hawai’i.

A visit from Hawai’i to the Los Angeles Coliseum seems more likely. Both sides arguably benefit most from this arrangement. The notoriously cash-strapped Hawai’i football program can gain a hefty payday from USC, while USC gets the additional bye week it desires. In contrast to the past, when Hawai’i commonly hosted brand names such as Alabama and Michigan, the Rainbow Warriors are now more willing to accept a paycheck to play on the road against bluebloods. In 2015, Hawai’i received $1.2 million to play Ohio State on the road and a then-record $1.9 million to play Michigan on the road in 2022. The Trojans can provide a similar payday.

USC and Notre Dame’s failure to continue their iconic rivalry for the foreseeable future sent shockwaves throughout the college football world. However, USC’s new scheduling approach in response to the end of the rivalry could provide a minor consolation. Once again, we may see one of college football’s most fascinating non-conference series between the West Coast’s most storied program and college football’s biggest geographical pariah.