The Enduring Legacy of NCAA Rivalry Week

As college football embraces Rivalry Week, the stakes are high, and bragging rights are on the line. This week showcases a blend of historic clashes and newly formed feuds, highlighting the enduring appeal and evolving nature of college football rivalries. Rivalry Week represents a convergence of past, present, and postseason implications. Matchups stretch from 19th-century roots to realignment-era renewals, from crosstown clashes to cross-continental duels.

Historic and Burgeoning College Football Rivalries

Some of this week’s rivalry games trace their roots back to the 19th century, forged in an era when games were played in muddy fields and the forward pass was still a novelty. Yet, Rivalry Week is also being reshaped in real time. Conference realignment has revived dormant feuds and given life to new ones.

Oldest Rivalries

Several rivalries slated for this week stretch back to the very origins of college football. Duke and Wake Forest first met in 1889, making theirs the oldest matchup on the schedule this week. Meanwhile, Minnesota and Wisconsin prepare to face off for Paul Bunyan’s Axe for the 135th time, marking the most-played rivalry in the sport’s history.

Newest Rivalries

Not all Rivalry Week matchups are steeped in annual tradition. Arkansas and Missouri will play for the Battle Line Trophy for just the 17th time, a product of the SEC’s recent reshuffling.

College Football’s Cross Town Rivalries and Road Warriors

Rivalries in college football are often framed by emotion, tradition, and postseason implications, but as we learned in history class, geography is destiny. Some of the sport’s fiercest matchups are rooted in sheer proximity: students who grew up together, families split by zip codes, and campuses that share city skylines. Others span vast distances, fueled less by local tension and more by conference alignments or institutional history.

College Football Crosstown Rivals

Nowhere is the geographic closeness of a college football rivalry more literal than in Los Angeles. Just 12 miles separate the campuses of USC and UCLA, but heading into this year’s game for the Victory Bell, the gap on the field feels much wider. No. 15 USC enters Week 14 in need of a strong close to the season after a tough loss to No. 7 Oregon effectively ended its playoff hopes. The Trojans are 21.5-point favorites over a struggling 3-8 UCLA team.

College Football Long Distance Duels

There is long-distance, and then there is Honolulu to Laramie. When Hawai’i and Wyoming face off for the Paniolo Trophy, they span more than 3,000 miles and four time zones. Born in 1978, the Paniolo Trophy (named after the Hawaiian word for “cowboy”) honors the shared ranching heritage of two places that seemingly have very little in common.

Most Competitive and Most Lopsided College Football Rivalries

College Football Rivalries By The Odds

This year, three rivalry games have spreads of -1.5 and represent the three most competitive games per the oddsmakers. The home team is favored in all three games. Wake Forest travels to Duke to take on a Blue Devil squad that still has a shot (albeit long) at making the ACC Championship Game. In the Sunshine State, Florida State will travel to The Swamp to take on the Florida Gators in a battle for the Makala Trophy. The Gators are playing for pride and bragging rights while Florida State will go bowling with a win on Saturday. Finally, Minnesota is a slight favorite at home against Wisconsin.

The two most lopsided spreads of the week involve three teams from the state of Indiana. The sportsbooks have Stanford as a 32.5 point underdog at home against a surging No. 9 Notre Dame team in the 100-year anniversary of the first game between the two schools. Back in the Hoosier State, No. 2 Indiana is favored by 28.5 points when traveling to Purdue to play for the Old Oaken Bucket on Friday night.

College Football Rivalries By The History Books

Among this weekend’s rivalry games with at least 50 prior meetings, three have historically been dominated by one team, winning at least 65% of the matchups. The most lopsided is the annual battle between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Vanderbilt Commodores where the Volunteers have won 79 of the 119 games played in the series. This year’s edition of the rivalry game potentially has playoff implications as No. 14 Vanderbilt will try to notch a win at No. 20 Tennessee. Also in the SEC, the Texas Longhorns have won 77 of 119 meetings in the Lone Star Showdown against Texas A&M. In the Big 12, Colorado holds a 45-21-1 series lead against Kansas State. This year, No. 3 Texas A&M and Kansas State, both historically underdogs in their respective rivalries, enter as favorites in the latest chapter of their heated matchups.

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One rivalry stands out as the most evenly matched: neither team holds a majority of wins. In 118 meetings between Illinois and Northwestern, Illinois leads with 58 victories, but with five ties, neither side has won more than 50% of the time.

Spotlight on Key Rivalry Games

Several high-profile games highlight the Rivalry Week schedule, each with its unique history and implications:

Ohio State vs. Michigan

No. 1 Ohio State will battle No. 18 Michigan in the 120th edition of “The Game.” They face off with playoff futures at stake, but the spotlight burns brightest on Ryan Day, who is looking to avoid dropping five straight to the Wolverines. To understand why Michigan and Ohio State is considered by many to be the greatest rivalry in college football, you have to go back to 1969 when Bo Schembechler, in his first year as head coach of the Wolverines, upset No. 1 ranked Ohio State, coached by his mentor, Woody Hayes. The decade that followed is known as The Ten Year War, featuring some of the greatest games in college football history. From The Snow Bowl to Woody and Bo to Heisman poses, The Game has produced several of college football’s biggest moments.

Texas vs. Texas A&M (Lonestar Showdown)

In the SEC, the Lonestar Showdown between No. 17 Texas and No. 3 Texas A&M will see the Longhorns trying to earn a playoff spot, while the Aggies look to protect an unbeaten season under Mike Elko. The Texas Longhorns have won 77 of 119 meetings in the Lone Star Showdown against Texas A&M. This year, No. 3 Texas A&M, historically underdogs in their respective rivalries, enter as favorites in the latest chapter of their heated matchups. Similar to the Lone Star Showdown that took place on Friday, it took an act of government to make the Florida-Florida State football rivalry happen.

Ole Miss and Mississippi State (Egg Bowl)

In Mississippi, Lane Kiffin’s post-Egg Bowl future looms larger than the game itself as the college football world waits to see whether he stays at Ole Miss or chooses to take his talents to the Bayou or the Swamp.

Clemson vs. South Carolina

A rivalry born in the post-Civil War years of Reconstruction, Clemson and South Carolina reserve their fiercest battles these days for the gridiron. For 111 straight seasons these two Palmetto State schools played each other until the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 meeting. The two schools have split the four games since then, although Clemson holds the overall series lead 73-44-4. Last year both schools had a shot at the playoffs. Although South Carolina won 17-14, Clemson snuck in by way of their ACC Championship win the following week.

Kentucky vs. Louisville

These in-state rivals save their most intense battles for the basketball court, but their football rivalry actually started before the two programs met in hoops. That first game was in 1912, but Louisville did not record their first win in the series until over 80 years later due to a 70-year gap between football games. The football rivalry has its own trophy, known as the Governor’s Cup, that has been contested for the last 30 years, and Louisville actually owns a 16-13 lead in the series during that era.

Houston vs. Baylor

Despite being located just 185 miles from each other, Baylor and Houston is a fairly young rivalry, especially compared to the others on this list. Baylor holds a slim 15-14-1 lead in the series, and the 2025 edition of this in-state rivalry is expected to be competitive again. The two schools did not play each other in football for the first time until 1950, and have only met 30 previous times. There was a nearly 30-year hiatus to the rivalry between 1995-2023, with the two schools splitting the last two meetings since reigniting the rivalry.

Oregon vs. Washington

Whether you call it the Cascade Clash or the Fight for the Forest, Oregon and Washington have met 118 times over the last 125 seasons, with many of those meetings having significant post-season implications. That will be the case again this year as Oregon looks to protect its No. 6 ranking in the College Football Playoff poll. The last time Oregon entered this game ranked sixth was in 2022, and Washington came away with a 37-34 win. The Huskies own a 63-49-5 series advantage, including three of the last four years.

Vanderbilt vs. Tennessee

In most years, Vanderbilt vs. Tennessee is barely noticed outside of the Volunteer State. This year, however, the rivalry features a pair of Top 20 schools fighting for a spot in the College Football Playoff and only the winner of this game will earn that opportunity. Tennessee has dominated this series 79-32-5, but it was not always that way. Vanderbilt won 19 of the first 24 meetings starting in 1892, with three of those non-wins ending in ties.

Florida State vs. Florida

Another young rivalry in comparison to most others being contested on Saturday, Florida and Florida State first met on the gridiron in 1958, but have played each other every year since, except for the COVID season of 2020.

Virginia Tech vs. Virginia

Although natural in-state rivals, Virginia and Virginia Tech have not always had a rivalry worthy of a Thanksgiving Weekend date. Virginia has the South’s Oldest Rivalry with North Carolina, while the Virginia Tech-Virginia Military Institute rivalry was considered the Hokies’ most important for many years before the teams stopped playing each other in the 1980s. This year, the game features teams at different stages of program success, with Virginia Tech rebuilding under new head coach James Franklin and Virginia aiming for their highest season finish in at least the last 30 years.

Alabama vs. Auburn (Iron Bowl)

The Iron Bowl is what most every other college rivalry wishes it could be. The name originates from the fact that Birmingham, whose Legion Field has hosted the game more than any other venue, was the South’s leading iron producer in the early 20th century. The first game in the series was played in 1893, but there was a 40-year hiatus until after World War II when the Auburn Board of Trustees formally demanded the athletic director negotiate with Alabama’s athletic director to conduct an annual game.

UCLA vs. USC

There are several in-state rivalries being played on Saturday, but this is the only true crosstown rivalry. UCLA and USC migrated to the Big Ten together, keeping their nearly 100-year same-conference affiliation intact. The annual matchup has been played on this date going back to World War II, when the teams squared off twice in a season on three occasions. The Victory Bell, which comes from an old locomotive and is given to the winner of the annual game, has changed hands each of the last four years.

The Importance Of College Football Rivalries

But one thing is for sure: no metric captures the motivation that comes from genuine hate between rivals. Whether it’s a 1-point spread or 30, whether the series is dead even or historically lopsided, every rivalry game this week will be played with the intensity of a playoff.

Additional Rivalries and Their Unique Trophies

College football is replete with unique rivalries, many of which are celebrated with distinctive trophies. These symbols often embody the history, geography, or shared culture of the participating schools. Here's a glimpse into some of these rivalries and their associated trophies:

Paul Bunyan's Axe: Awarded to the winner of the Minnesota-Wisconsin game, this axe is one of the most iconic rivalry trophies.
Battle Line Trophy: This trophy is contested between Arkansas and Missouri, representing the border between the two states.
Victory Bell: The winner of the UCLA-USC game takes home the Victory Bell, a symbol of crosstown supremacy in Los Angeles.
Paniolo Trophy: Spanning a vast distance, this trophy connects Hawai’i and Wyoming, celebrating their shared ranching heritage.
Makala Trophy: This trophy is awarded to the winner of the Florida-Florida State game.
Old Oaken Bucket: Indiana and Purdue battle for the Old Oaken Bucket, a symbol of their long-standing rivalry in the Hoosier State.
Governor’s Cup: The Governor’s Cup is contested between Kentucky and Louisville.
The South’s Oldest Rivalry: Virginia and North Carolina have the South’s Oldest Rivalry.
The Iron Bowl: Alabama and Auburn contest the Iron Bowl.
The Game: Ohio State and Michigan compete in The Game.

Rivalries Involving Teams in Different Divisions

This list is restricted to rivalries whose participants are currently in different Division I football subdivisions and have played one another while in different subdivisions.

Northwestern State-Stephen F. Austin: Northwestern State plays Stephen F. Austin.
Catawba vs. Lenoir-Rhyne: Catawba plays Lenoir-Rhyne.
Mount St. Joseph vs. Wilmington (OH): Mount St. Joseph plays Wilmington (OH).
St. Thomas (MN) vs. St. John's (MN): St. Thomas (MN) plays St. John's (MN).
Hampden-Sydney vs. Randolph-Macon (The Game): Hampden-Sydney plays Randolph-Macon (The Game).

Longest Continuously-Played Series

Following are the longest active continuously-played series in NCAA college football. Many historic series were interrupted by World War I, the 1918 flu pandemic, and World War II.

Note: The NCAA also lists as "continuous" the following rivalries interrupted by gaps during war years: North Carolina-Virginia (1910-1916, 1919-current); Mississippi-Mississippi State (1915-1942, 1944-current); Auburn-Georgia (1919-1942, 1944-current); Tennessee-Kentucky (1919-1942, 1944-current). Other rivalries were also interrupted during war years, for example: Harvard-Yale (1897-1916, 1919-1943, 1945-present); Princeton-Yale (1876-1916, 1919-1943, 1945-present); Miami-Cincinnati (1909-1942, 1945-present); and Oregon-Oregon State (1912-1942, 1945-present).

Following are the NCAA Division I and II series that continued for the most consecutive seasons before being interrupted. Eight of the eighteen series on this list are defunct rivalries from the old Big Eight Conference.

Conference Realignment and Rivalries

Upheaval within the Big Ten, Pac-12, and Southeastern Conferences has threatened some cherished rivalries, while rekindling others.

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