Rivalry Week by the numbers: The longest, closest and most historic rivalries in college football

With constant roster turnover, college football fans love the sport because of the schools, not necessarily the players. Whether it's rooting for the school they went to or the school a family member went to, the passion college football fans watch games with is unmatched. We see that week after week, but this is especially prevalent during Rivalry Week.

Rivalry Week features matchups involving many long-standing rivalries, sometimes even with college football playoff implications on the line. With that in mind, here's a look at everything you need to know about the numbers of Rivalry Week.

Want more rivalries? Explore FanSided’s Rivalry Week Hub, our interactive deep dive into the traditions, history and moments that define college football’s fiercest matchups.

Rivalry Week by the numbers

119: Number of FBS rivalries with 50+ meetings

While hundreds of rivalries have dominated college football since the beginning of its existence, there are a total of 119 FBS rivalries with at least 50 matchups played. There are rivalries prevalent from coast to coast, many of which you've heard of, and some of which I'd guess you have not.

79: Number of Division 1 rivalries that span more than 100 years

The Lehigh-Lafayette rivalry is over 160 years old and is the only rivalry with over 150 total meetings, but there are a ton of rivalries that have lasted for over 100 years. There are 79 Division I rivalries in total that have over 100 matchups played, and the Iowa-Wisconsin and the Furman–Wofford rivalries are just one game away from joining this special group. Both rivalries should get there in 2026.

67: Number of games played during Rivalry Week

Rivalry Week begins on Tuesday, Nov. 25, and runs through Saturday, Nov. 30. Obviously, a majority of the games are played on Friday and Saturday, as is the case in any other week, but there are a total of 67 games to be played over the course of Rivalry Week. And 64 of them will be played on Friday and Saturday. Some are more intriguing than others, obviously, but there's tons of quality football to be watched.

19: Number of Rivalry Week trophies handed out

While 67 games are to be played over the course of Rivalry Week, only around a third of the contests have an actual trophy involved. The trophies might be relatively meaningless to an unbiased fan, but for those engulfed in the thick of a particular rivalry, getting to hold the trophy for a year means everything. Here's a list of the trophies to be handed out.

Admittedly, not all of the trophies are created equally. For example, Paul Bunyon's Axe is as good as it gets when it comes to college football trophies, and the air-tight rivalry between Minnesota and Wisconsin only adds to that lore. Still, winning a trophy is an unbelievable feeling, even if it isn't a National Championship Trophy.

The longest-running rivalries in college football

Things like proximity, being in the same conference and being good at the same time do matter, but nothing makes a rivalry stronger than having them last a long time. The longer rivalries run, the more room there is for drama and intrigue. With that in mind, let's take a look at the longest-running rivalries in FBS history.

141 years: Lafayette-Lehigh

The rivalry between Lafayette and Lehigh has been going on for so long that it's known as The Rivalry. It's been played 160 times, and the only interruptions have come from a 1896 dispute over eligible players and the 2020 COVID pandemic. As you can see from the all-time tally, things are pretty tight.

• First meeting: 1884
• Last result: Lehigh 38, Lafayette 14 on Nov. 23, 2024
• Record in last 10 meetings: Lehigh 6-4
• All-time series: Lafayette leads 82-73-5

152 years: Yale-Princeton

Because of a stoppage in the Lafayette and Lehigh rivalry, the rivalry between Yale and Princeton is technically the oldest continuing rivalry in American football history, at 146 meetings running. Unlike the Lafayette-Lehigh rivalry, though, there's a clear leader in this rivalry.

• First meeting: 1873
• Last result: Yale 42, Princeton 28 on Nov. 16, 2024
• Record in last 10 meetings: Yale 7-3
• All-time series: Yale leads 81-55-10

150 years: Harvard-Yale

Not only is Yale involved in a big rivalry with Princeton, but the Bulldogs have a longstanding rivalry with Harvard as well. This rivalry is known as "The Game" between two of the Ivy League's powerhouses.

• First meeting: 1875
• Last result: Yale 34, Harvard 29 on Nov. 23, 2024
• Record in last 10 meetings: Yale 6-4
• All-time series: Yale leads 71-61-8

The closest rivalries in college football (All-time win margin)

As fun as it is to watch some of the most famous rivalries in college football history, like Ohio State-Michigan, Georgia-Georgia Tech and UCLA-USC, it's often easy to predict the winner of those matchups based on the all-time win margins. There are, however, plenty of incredibly tight rivalries between teams playing on Rivalry Week.

South Alabama-Texas State

• First meeting: 2013
• Last result: Texas State 45, South Alabama 38 on Nov. 29, 2024
• Record in last 10 meetings: Texas State 6-4
• All-time series: Texas State leads 6-4

This rivalry between the South Alabama Jaguars and the Texas State Bobcats is rather young, yet in the 10 times these two SBC West foes have met, the score couldn't be much closer. The Bobcats have a slight advantage right now, but six of the 10 games have been decided by one score. There's reason to expect another close one during Rivalry Week.

Troy-Southern Miss

• First meeting: 1935
• Last result: Troy 50, Southern Miss. 22 on Nov. 30, 2024
• Record in last 10 meetings: 5-5
• All-time series: Southern Miss. leads 8-6

This matchup has gone back and forth. Southern Miss. dominated in the early days when these teams were playing mostly in the 1930s and wound up winning eight of the first 10 meetings, but Troy has won each of the last four, with all four games being decided by two or more scores. It'll be interesting to see if Southern Miss. can reassert some dominance or if Troy will cut their series deficit to one.

Navy-Memphis

• First meeting: 2015
• Last result: Navy 56, Memphis 44 on Sep. 21, 2024
• Record in last 10 meetings: Memphis 6-4
• All-time series: Memphis leads 6-4

This is another young rivalry only picking up steam. Navy and Memphis played in a barn-burner last season, and who's to say there won't be another one this go-around? While Memphis holds a slight edge in the all-time series between the two programs, four of the six losses Navy has taken have been by one possession. This, somehow, is even closer than the series record suggests.

Houston-Baylor

• First meeting: 1950
• Last result: Baylor 20, Houston 10 on Nov. 23, 2024
• Record in last 10 meetings: 5-5
• All-time series: Baylor leads 15-14-1

Houston and Baylor were bitter rivals when they were in the Southwest Conference, but when that broke up, things were dead for almost three decades. The rivalry picked back up when Houston joined Baylor in the Big 12 in 2023, and we've been treated to two awesome games since. Houston earned a one-point overtime win in 2023, and Baylor found a way to win in Houston in 2024. A Houston win on Rivalry Week would knot up the all-time series, and a Baylor win would give them clear bragging rights.

Texas Tech-West Virginia

• First meeting: 1937
• Last result: Texas Tech 52, West Virginia 15 on Nov. 30, 2024
• Record in last 10 meetings: 5-5
• All-time series: 7-7

Not only are Texas Tech and West Virginia all tied up in their last 10 meetings, but the all-time series between these two Big 12 programs is knotted up at seven wins apiece. It goes without saying that this year's game is a crucial one. especially with the likelihood of Texas Tech playing for a college football playoff spot.

Northwestern-Illinois

• First meeting: 1892
• Last result: Illinois 38, Northwestern 28 on Nov. 30, 2024
• Record in last 10 meetings: Northwestern 7-3
• All-time series: Illinois leads 58-55-5

The rivalry between the Northwestern Wildcats and the Illinois Fighting Illini has it all. It has a rich history spanning over 100 years, and a whole lot of drama. I mean, what are the odds of there being over 100 matchups played and the margin of victory being so slim? Sure, Northwestern has the advantage in the last 10 matchups, but Illinois has won three of four against the Wildcats and has the all-time advantage. It should be fascinating to see what goes down in this battle between two extremely evenly-matched rivals.

Kentucky-Louisville

• First meeting: 1912
• Last result: Louisville 41, Kentucky 14 on Nov. 30, 2024
• Record in last 10 meetings: Kentucky 6-4
• All-time series: Kentucky leads 20-16

The Governor's Cup featuring the Kentucky Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals is as entertaining as it sounds. Kentucky admittedly has a slight edge in the overall series and in the last 10 meetings, but Louisville won handily in 2024 and is in position to do so again in 2025.

Wisconsin-Minnesota

• First meeting: 1890
• Last result: Minnesota 24, Wisconsin 7 on Nov. 29, 2024
• Record in last 10 meetings: 6-4 Wisconsin
• All-time series: 63-63-8

The rivalry between the Wisconsin Badgers and Minnesota Golden Gophers isn't only one of the longest-lasting in college football history, but it's arguably the tightest rivalry in sports history. It literally can't get any closer to even records through 134 meetings. These teams haven't always been good at the same time, but they've each had their runs of dominance. This year's game, though, has complete bragging rights up for grabs.

Rivalries defined by geography

A lot goes into a rivalry, but proximity is one of the most important factors. You do see rivalries of teams who play in different states, but generally, those states are pretty close by. Schools that are very close to each other, though, are bound to have a bitter rivalry, particularly if the schools play at a similar talent level. Here are some of the closest school rivalries.

13.9 miles: UCLA-USC

• Distance: 13.9 miles
• First meeting: 1929
• Last result: USC 19, UCLA 13 on Nov. 23, 2024
• Record in last 10 meetings: 7-3 USC
• All-time series: USC leads 53-34-7

13.3 miles: Kent State-Akron

• Distance: 13.3 miles
• First meeting: 2000
• Last result: Kent State 42, Akron 35 (OT) on Nov. 11, 2025
• Record in last 10 meetings: 5-5
• All-time series: Akron leads 15-11

9.8 miles: Duke-North Carolina

• Distance: 9.8 miles
• First meeting: 1891
• Last result: Duke 21, North Carolina 20 on Sep. 28, 2024
• Record in last 10 meetings: 6-4 North Carolina
• All-time series: North Carolina leads 65-39-4

3.6 miles: Houston-Rice

• Distance: 3.6 miles
• First meeting: 1971
• Last result: Houston 35, Rice 9
• Record in last 10 meetings: 9-1 Houston
• All-time series: Houston leads 35-12

The rivalries between these schools run deep, and part of that is because of the proximity. I mean, UCLA and USC are just under 14 miles apart. It'll take around an hour to get from one school to the other because, well, LA traffic is what it is, but they're very close. You can literally walk from Houston to Rice if you really want to, or take a 10-to-15-minute drive if you prefer. Again, the proximity adds to the allure of these rivalries.