Louisiana Football to Play USC Trojans in 2026
Abdul Abusada • December 11, 2025
The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team are scheduled to meet with the USC Trojans in Los Angeles, California on Saturday, September 12, 2026, Cajuns Insider learned. USC will host the Cajuns at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, with UL getting a $1.3 million guarantee for playing the game, according to Kevin Kelley of FBSchedules.com.
This will be the first ever football matchup between the two schools. USC, a Big Ten school, has a record of 2-0 against Sun Belt teams, while Louisiana has an 0-6 record against Big Ten opponents. UL will have a chance to earn their first win against a Big Ten opponent when they make the cross-country trip to Los Angeles.
USC finished the regular season with a 9-3 record and ranked 16th in the CFP Top 25, which included wins against #15 Michigan and #21 Iowa. They finished the season top 10 in total offense, averaging 472 yards and 36.5 points per game. R-Jr QB Jayden Maiava and R-Fr RB King Miller have been on the throne for this high-powered offense, both with the potential of returning to USC next season for another run at the playoffs. The Trojans are currently set to face the TCU Horned Frogs in the Alamo Bowl.
With this addition, Louisiana's non-conference schedule, as of now, appears to be set for 2026. The Cajuns will play all four non-conference opponents in the first four weeks of their season, kicking off against an FCS opponent, the Lamar Cardinals, in Lafayette on September 5th. They will then head to Los Angeles to face USC the next week, then will be back home to face the UAB Blazers of the American Conference on September 19th. Following that game, the Cajuns are currently scheduled to play in Ruston against a familiar foe in Louisiana Tech on September 26th.
However, the Bulldogs are set to join the Sun Belt Conference, which could happen either prior to the start of 2026 or 2027. If they do join in 2026, that game against Louisiana Tech would be taken off of the Cajuns' schedule, re-opening UL's search for another non-conference game.
This article written by Abdul Abusada of Cajuns Insider and Cajun Sports Talk. Don't forget to tune into Cajuns Insider podcast shows on all The Kneaux socials every week during the football season! Also don't forget to tune into The Cajun Sports Talk Podcast Show on @CajunSportsTalk on YouTube every Tuesday evening!
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Louisiana Athletics have been working the phone lines today as they have set their second future non-conference matchup of the day. Just hours after the announcement that the Cajuns would be making a trip to USC in 2026, it has been revealed that Louisiana will make a trip to Fort Worth, Texas in 2028 to play the Horned Frogs of TCU out of the Big 12 Conference. The game will be played in week 3 of the 2028 season on September 16th at Amon G. Carter Stadium, and will be the second all-time matchup between the two schools in football. Louisiana and TCU last met in the 2024 Isleta New Mexico Bowl, where the Horned Frogs earned a 34-3 win. The Cajuns, who were depleted due to a large number of players opting out and entering the transfer portal, were limited to just two red-zone opportunities, taking advantage in one of them with a short 24-yard field goal that gave them their only points. TCU's QB Josh Hoover threw for 4 touchdowns and 252 yards. TCU finished their 2025 regular season with an 8-4 record, and are now shifting focus on playing #16 USC in the Alamo Bowl at the end of the month. Louisiana on the other hand finished 6-6 after a four-game win stretch to earn bowl eligibility, and look to end 2025 with a winning record as they set to face 6-6 Delaware in the 68 Ventures Bowl. This article written by Abdul Abusada of Cajuns Insider and Cajun Sports Talk. Don't forget to tune into Cajuns Insider podcast shows on all The Kneaux socials every week during the football season! Also don't forget to tune into The Cajun Sports Talk Podcast Show on @CajunSportsTalk on YouTube every Tuesday evening!
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