Ranking college football rivalries by tradition, geography, heated moments and more

College football rivalry week is upon us, and fans will be preparing their Saturday best for what are considered the biggest games of the year regardless of postseason viability.

When rival programs play one another, no other game nor the rest of the season matters. The only focus is beating the team on the other sideline and earning bragging rights (and sometimes a trophy) for next 365 days.

We're going to take a look at some of the best college football rivalries but view them through some different lenses and examine the unique and historic circumstances behind them. We did our best to avoid repeating matchups and put together a comprehensive list of iconic and under-appreciated rivalries.

Ranking the top college football rivalries

Best rivalry between neighbors

USC vs. UCLA: These two schools are only 12 miles apart and seriously do not like one another. The Trojans lead the all-time series 51-34-7 and reclaimed the Victory Bell trophy after winning the 2024 edition in Week 13. In fact, the bell is only seen two days a year and is hidden in a vault or warehouse until the next game is played. The rivalry originated in the Pacific Coast Conference (the precursor to the Pac-12) and the game usually decided the conference title on several occasions.

Runner-up: West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh: Also known as the Backyard Brawl, the game is played between two schools only 75 miles apart. The feud was put on hold in 2011 due to conference realignment but resumed in 2022. Pittsburgh leads the all-time series 63-41-3 and won the 2024 edition in come-from-behind fashion 38-34.

Best rivalry between distant schools

Notre Dame vs. USC: These two teams travel a whopping 1,818 miles between South Bend, Indiana and Los Angeles, California to play this game. Two of the most iconic stadiums in the sport have been used — L.A. Memorial Coliseum and Notre Dame Stadium — for the 94 meetings. The Fighting Irish lead the all-time series 49-37-5 and are the current retainers of the Jeweled Shillelagh trophy.

Runner-up: Air Force vs. Hawaii: A team willingly traveling across an ocean to face an opponent — 3,278 miles to be exact — literally defines a heated rivalry. However, it's the distance that restricts the two teams from making it a yearly affair. They first met in 1966 but didn't play regularly until 1980 with Air Force leading the all-time series 14-8-1.

For more Rivalry Week content, check out FanSided's Ultimate Guide to College Football Rivalries, an in-depth and interactive look at the deep traditions, rich history, iconic venues and memorable moments of college football's biggest rivalries.

Best rivalry between tiny schools

Middle Tennessee vs. Troy: The Battle for the Palladium, as it's known, has a history literally conceived from ancient mythology. According to legend, Odysseus and his raiders invaded Troy and stole the Palladium, a wooden statue from the gods, causing the city's collapse. So naturally, the Blue Raiders and Trojans fight for the trophy on the gridiron. Middle Tennessee leads the all-time series 13-9 as it was put on a 46-year hiatus until the two teams returned to the same conference but the two won't meet again until 2033.

Runner-up: South Dakota Mines vs. Black Hills State: The oldest rivalry in DII college football, the Hardrockers and Yellow Jackets have been playing since 1895 — just six years after South Dakota became a state. In 139 meetings, South Dakota Mines leads the tight all-time series 65-63-11 over the Yellow Jackets.

Best SEC rivalry

Auburn vs. Alabama: It's hard to deny The Iron Bowl its top spot in the SEC rivalries department. The weekend after Thanksgiving wouldn't feel complete without the Tigers and Crimson Tide battling it out on the gridiron. The two have played 88 times since 1893 with Alabama leading the all-time series 50-37-1 and owning a four-year winning streak. The only time this game wasn't nationally televised was in 1993 when Auburn was under NCAA sanctions.

Runner-up: Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss: The Egg Bowl, also played the weekend after Thanksgiving, has been a Southern staple since 1901. Ole Miss leads the all-time series 65-46-6 and currently owns The Golden Egg trophy — which isn't even an egg. It's actually a gold football but balls back in the day resembled rugby balls more than what we know today.

Best Big Ten rivalry

Ohio State vs. Michigan: A rivalry so well-known, it only need be referenced as The Game. Played since 1897, the original combatants still had a recent war fought between Ohio and Michigan fresh in their minds. The Toledo War of 1835 never actually involved any battles but instead was a land dispute. Ohio won and Michigan never forgave them for it. We are forever grateful for it to this day. Michigan leads the all-time series (119 meetings) 61-51-6.

Runner-up: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin: The battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe is fiercer than most realize.
It's the most-played college football series in NCAA Division I history and in 2014, the tradition of the winning team storming the losers' sideline and "stealing" the axe was suspended due to a skirmish between players but restored in 2015.

Best ACC rivalry

Florida State vs. Miami: The Seminoles and Hurricanes dominated college football headlines with this iconic matchup for most of the 1980s and 90s, meeting as Top 10 foes seven consecutive times from 1987-93. Miami leads the all-time series 36-33 in which eight combined national championships and five Heisman Trophy winners have emerged. In 2024, Miami ended a three-year losing streak to Florida State.

Runner-up: Virginia vs. Virginia Tech: This in-state rivalry seemingly replaced The South's Oldest Rivalry between Virginia and North Carolina in the modern era. However, the history between the two programs reaches as far back as 1895. Virginia Tech leads the all-time series 61-38-5 but is 18-1 against the Cavaliers since both joined the ACC in 2004.

Best Big 12 rivalry

The Big 12 lost Bedlam (Oklahoma v. Oklahoma State) and the Red River Rivalry (Texas v. Oklahoma) this year but these are the best newly inherited rivalries in the conference.

Utah vs. BYU: The Holy War was raging long before both the Utes and Cougars became Big 12 neighbors. In fact, it's so heated both programs have different accountings for who leads the all-time series. According to Utah, it leads 62-36-4. According to BYU, Utah only leads 59-32-4. This is because BYU refuses to acknowledge any games played prior to 1922 when the school was named Brigham Young Academy. Utah will probably add another asterisk to the 2024 edition over BYU's comeback win, aided by a controversial fourth-down holding call.

Runner-up: Arizona vs. Arizona State: The Duel in the Desert is a fierce battle for the oldest rivalry trophy in college football. The Territorial Cup was first awarded in 1899 but went missing until 1980 and has been fought over since 2001. Arizona leads the all-time series 51-44-1 including two straight victories since 2022.

Best rivalry tradition

Army vs. Navy (Sing Second): The Army-Navy game is synonymous with college football but its most valued tradition is the singing of the academies' alma maters at the conclusion of the contest. The losing team goes first and the winner gets the last word (or verse, really). "Sing second" has become part of the teams' iconic "Beat Army" and "Beat Navy" phrases as it symbolizes winning the game.

Runner-up: Southern vs. Grambling (Battle of the Bands): The Bayou Classic is one of the most iconic rivalry games between HBCU programs. Some attend and watch the game on TV just for the halftime show in which the two bands, well-known for their complex maneuvers, put on impressive performances at mid-field.

Best iconic rivalry moment

Stanford vs. Cal — The Play (1982): Everyone knows the iconic call by Joe Starkey. "The band is out on the field! He's gonna go into the endzone!" Cal's last-ditch, lateral-filled and controversial final play against Stanford will forever be known in the annals of college football. In fact, Stanford is still salty about it to this day. Whenever it wins the Stanford Axe trophy, the program changes the score of the 1982 game to 20-19 in favor of the Cardinal.

Runner-up: Texas vs. Texas Tech — Michael Crabtree's walk-off TD (2008): Arguably the biggest moment in Big 12 history, the Red Raiders pulled off the upset of the season with this play. The 39-33 victory toppled mighty Texas from its No. 1 spot in all the polls and slingshot Texas Tech into the BCS national title conversation.

Most unique rivalry trophy

Memphis vs. UAB: The Battle for the Bones first began in 1984 between the two schools' basketball programs but the football teams first met in 1997. In 2006, the rivalry introduced arguably the best trophy in college football — a literal bronze rack of ribs weighing 100 pounds. UAB leads the all-time series for the tasty-looking hardware 10-7 but Memphis has won the last three meetings. Due to conference realignment as early as 2010, the series was significantly interrupted until UAB joined the AAC with Memphis in 2021.

Runner-up: TCU vs. SMU: Sticking with the cooking theme, TCU and SMU battle each year for a literal iron skillet. The trophy was allegedly introduced in 1946 when an SMU fan was frying frog legs ahead of the game. Since 1915, TCU leads the series 53-43-7 in 103 meetings but SMU currently owns the skillet.

Most lopsided rivalry (by record)

Notre Dame vs. Navy: The history and pageantry of this rivalry are adored by college football fans but the game itself hasn't really been competitive. Notre Dame dominates the all-time series 81-13-1 which is an .845 winning percentage. Believe it or not, the Midshipmen earned the annual game against the Fighting Irish because the Naval Academy helped the South Bend-based school from nearly going under during World War II. Notre Dame repaid Navy with a 43-game winning streak that was snapped in 2007 but the Irish have still won 13 of the last 17 since then.

Runner-up: Texas vs. Rice: Modern generations not from the state of Texas look at this matchup and usually ask "Why do they keep playing each other?" The Longhorns own the all-time series 75-21-1 which is a .773 winning percentage. But believe it or not, Texas and Rice were conference-mates from 1915 until 1995 as part of the Southwest Conference. Rice has only won twice since 1960 but tradition is tradition, no?

Most lopsided rivalry (by living rent free in the opponent's head)

Notre Dame vs. Purdue: The only thing really connecting the two programs is the fact that they both reside in the state of Indiana and play DI football. Anecdotal evidence suggests the Boilermakers want the rivalry with Notre Dame — called the Battle for the Shillelagh Trophy — to endure but since 1986 Purdue has only won five times. It's hardly a battle and more of a big brother-little brother dynamic now.

Runner-up: Utah vs. Arizona State: The Sun Devils have their natural rival in Tucson as the Utes do in Provo but for some reason, fans online have been trying to pit these once-Pac-12 foes-turned-Big 12 neighbors into something that they're not. The two states share a border but the football programs have no history beyond 2011.

Most balanced rivalry

NIU vs. Ball State: The Battle for the Bronze Stalk appears balanced with the all-time series tied at 25-25-2 but it's been a rivalry built on streaks. There have only been four occasions where a team has won on a singular occasion, the rest of the history is built on extended winning streaks for either program. The two first played in 1941 (a 6-6 tie) but didn't start the annual rivalry until 1966, fighting for the Bronze Stalk trophy starting in 2008. Ball State has won five of the last six meetings including 2024.

Runner-up: Cincinnati vs. Miami (OH): The Bearcats only just broke the tie in this rivalry. Entering the 2024 season, the all-time series was tied 60-60-7 but Cincinnati's 27-16 win in September gave it the slight edge over the Red Hawks.

Best rivalry prank

Harvard vs. Yale — We Suck (2004): This prank could be a subplot for a Revenge of the Nerds sequel. Yale students successfully infiltrated the Harvard spirit squad during the annual football game and passed out cards with instructions to raise them at a specific time. When the undercover Yale students gave the signal, the oblivious Harvard student section lifted the cards which spelled out "We Suck." Score one for the Bulldogs.

Runner-up: Texas vs. Oklahoma — Mike Leach's fake script (1999): According to ESPN, during the 1999 edition of the Red River Rivalry a Texas assistant discovered what appeared to be a copy of Texas' opening drive play calls but it was actually a trap. Then-Oklahoma offensive coordinator Mike Leach (RIP) had planted the fake script to throw off the Longhorn defense which fell behind 17-0 in the first quarter.

Best rivalry that was lost to history

Kansas vs. Missouri: The Border War hasn't been played since 2011 when Missouri left the Big 12 for the SEC. The football teams first met in 1891 and was the second-most played football rivalry when it ceased. The two were such bitter rivals they couldn't even agree on how the all-time series ended. Missouri claims it led 57-54-9 but Kansas disputed it was actually 56-55-9 in favor of the Jayhawks due to them refusing to acknowledge their forfeiture of the 1960 game (a 23-7 win marred by recruiting violations). There are no plans for the rivalry to be renewed anytime soon, unfortunately.

Runner-up: LSU vs. Tulane: The Battle for the Rag, as it was known, has not been played since 2009 and not consistently since 1994. The two bayou programs first met in 1893 with the winner being awarded a satin trophy flag called "The Tiger Rag" at LSU and "The Victory Flag" at Tulane. LSU led the all-time series 69-22-7 and was supposedly in talks to play Tulane in New Orleans in 2013 but that never came to fruition.

Honorable mention: Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State: Bedlam was one of the most iconic college football rivalries ever played. But with conference realignment in 2023, it's been discontinued and cannot return until at least 2030 due to scheduling issues.

Best renewed rivalry

Texas vs. Texas A&M: Thanks to conference realignment in 2023, the Longhorns and Aggies will resume their once-legendary rivalry that began in the Southwest Conference, moved to the Big Eight/12 and now the SEC. The two first met in 1894 but the series wasn't played annually until 1915, halting in 2011 when Texas A&M departed for its current home. Texas leads the all-time series 76-37-5 and won the once-thought-final matchup 27-25. The 2024 renewal will carry huge College Football Playoff implications with the winner clinching a spot in the SEC title game.

Runner-up: Colorado vs. Nebraska: Another classic Big Eight rivalry lost to conference realignment in 2010, the Buffaloes and Cornhuskers actually revived their feud for a few years ahead of Colorado's 2024 Big 12 homecoming. The two first met in 1898 but didn't play annually until 1948 with Nebraska leading all-time 50-21-2.

Best individual rivalry performer

Tim Tebow, Florida vs. Florida State (2006-09): Arguably the most well-known Gators quarterback, Tebow threw for 668 yards, rushed for another 259 and scored 14 total touchdowns against Florida State in three games started. Florida won all three of those Sunshine Showdowns en route to two national championships in 2006 and 2008. That was all against a Bobby Bowden-led Seminoles program too. Talk about domination.

Runner-up: Jim Thorpe, Carlisle Indian School vs. Harvard (1911): Thorpe was part of the first-ever class inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame due in part to his dominant performance against rival Harvard in 1911. Thorpe scored all 18 of Carlisle's points in the upset over the Crimson — a touchdown, an extra point and four field goals. He really could do it all.