Top 10 Biggest College Sports Rivalries

There are plenty of rivalries in college athletics. Most of them stem from the schools being in close proximity to each other or playing in the same conference. However, intense rivalries can form for many reasons. Read below to learn about the biggest rivalries in all of college sports.

What Are the Biggest College Sports Rivalries of All Time?

1. Michigan-Ohio State
2. Duke-North Carolina
3. Alabama-Auburn
4. Army-Navy
5. USC-Notre Dame
6. Oklahoma-Texas
7. Kentucky-Louisville
8. Florida-Georgia
9. Michigan-Michigan State
10. Florida-Florida State

1. Michigan-Ohio State

The Michigan versus Ohio State rivalry is most fierce in football, as the two teams are known to square off every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The two schools are Big Ten Conference rivals, meaning they play against one another every year. In football, these two schools are typically the best teams in the conference. The two schools are located under four hours apart, and have been responsible for some of the most memorable college football games ever. When they play on the gridiron, it’s known as “The Game,” which is a nod to their shared history and the importance of the rivalry.

2. Duke-North Carolina

Duke and North Carolina are two ACC Conference foes best known for their basketball prowess. Their campuses are less than 20 minutes apart, which is part of the reason why they have such an intense rivalry. The two schools are constantly fighting over top recruits and have had some of the most legendary athletes and coaches play in the rivalry. Perhaps the biggest of them all was when the two foes met in the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four, which was legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s last game.

3. Alabama-Auburn

The rivalry matchup between Alabama and Auburn is known as the “Iron Bowl,” and is one of the most anticipated college football games on the calendar every year. The two schools from the same state of Alabama first met back in 1893 and have played each season since 1948. They’re both in the SEC and also have a great basketball rivalry as well. One of the rivalry’s bigger moments was when basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley chose to play for Auburn instead of Alabama before 1981.

4. Army-Navy

Army versus Navy is perhaps the most unique rivalry in college sports. The tradition is based on the United States military branches as the two schools aren’t necessarily close to each other and aren’t in the same conference. There’s the famous “prisoner exchange” which takes place before the football game in which students spending a semester away from their usual college are able to enjoy the game with their own peers. The rivalry started in 1890 and the two teams have played every year since 1930.

5. USC-Notre Dame

USC and Notre Dame is another rivalry in which neither school is in the same conference nor in close proximity to each other. This rivalry is best known in college football; USC and Notre Dame have combined for more national championships and Heisman Trophy winners than any other rivalry. One of the most legendary moments in this rivalry was the infamous “Bush Push” in 2005, in which USC’s Reggie Bush illegally pushed quarterback Matt Leinhart into the end zone but was not called out for it until the Trojan victory was vacated the following year.

6. Oklahoma-Texas

The “Red River Showdown” is an annual battle on the gridiron between Oklahoma and Texas. The two Big 12 conference foes share a border known as the Red River and the winner of the game receives the Golden Hat trophy. These schools are consistently powerhouses in college football. They’ve met as the top two teams in the country several times, with the first meeting happening in 1963. The Longhorns bested the Sooners 28-7 that day en route to a national championship.

7. Kentucky-Louisville

Kentucky and Louisville are two southern schools that aren't in the same conference, but are less than two hours apart from each other. This rivalry is more known in basketball with arguably the biggest moment not even coming on the court. Head Coach Rick Pitino coached Kentucky from 1989-1997, winning the title in 1996, and then he took the position with Louisville in 2001. He coached the Cardinals up until 2017, capturing the 2013 championship, which was later vacated.

8. Florida-Georgia

The Florida versus Georgia college football rivalry is so big that there is even a dedicated Hall of Fame just for the rivalry itself. It’s disputed among athletic departments as to when the rivalry began; Georgia claims it started in 1904, but Florida says it didn’t sanction a football team until two years later. The two SEC schools have usually played their annual meetup at a neutral site in Jacksonville. The two universities also have a rivalry in basketball and baseball, but none bigger than on the gridiron.

9. Michigan-Michigan State

The Michigan versus Michigan State rivalry is perhaps the most balanced on this list; the two share a similar dislike in both football and basketball. On the gridiron, the two in-state schools have squared off every year since 1945 for the Paul Bunyan Trophy. On the court, the two programs play twice annually and are typically among the best in the nation, resulting in at least one of the schools being ranked when they match up against each other.

10. Florida-Florida State

Florida and Florida State have an extremely intense in-state rivalry. The two schools aren’t in the same conference, but have still matched up each year in football since 1958. They’ve combined to put on some of college football’s best games ever, including the "Choke at Doak” in 1994 when both teams tied at 31, and the “Greatest Game Ever Played in The Swamp” in 1997 when number ten UF defeated top-ranked FSU at home.

Honorable Mentions

• Alabama-LSU
• Alabama-Tennessee
• Clemson-South Carolina
• Georgetown-Syracuse
• Indiana-Purdue
• Mississippi State-Ole Miss
• NC State-North Carolina
• Stanford-Cal
• UCLA-USC
• Virginia-Virginia Tech

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