Rivalries are an integral part of college football culture, fueling the passion of the fans, bringing attention from the media, and helping to shape the legacy of the sport too.<\/p>\n
Intense matchups between different teams can lead to tribalism and heated clashes, which is a core feature of the sport. Picking sides for these battles is what makes the sport as big and as popular as it is, giving fans something to get behind.<\/p>\n
Though there are plenty of memorable and popular college football rivalries, it can be difficult to narrow down the biggest. So, in order to work it out, we\u2019ve created an index to rank the top ten biggest college football rivalries in history!<\/p>\n
Giving each clash a score between 0 and 100, we\u2019ve rated every rivalry based on various metrics such as the length of the feud, meetings per year, competitiveness, fan sentiment, and digital engagement. After combining all these factors, the results revealed which teams have the most hostile contests.<\/p>\n
Keep reading below to discover the biggest college football rivalries!<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"editor_block","content":"
If we just look at the plain data, these are the biggest rivalries in college football. If you\u2019re interested in learning more about how we worked these out, have a read of our methodology at the bottom of the page.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image_block","image_id":118034,"description":"","width":"100","alignment":"center","caption":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"editor_block","content":"
Topping our rankings is the clash between Army and Navy, with it being highlighted as the most intense rivalry in college football. After looking at all the different factors, their index score comes to a total of 75.66.<\/p>\n
This fierce feud, known as \u2018America\u2019s Game\u2019, has existed for the joint-longest out of all the rivalries having been around for a whopping 137 years!<\/p>\n
Considering that Army and Navy have met a total of 127 times, the two teams average 0.92 meetings per year. This means that they\u2019re almost guaranteed to face off against each other every year, which gives the fans something to look forward to.<\/p>\n
Not only do they meet a lot, but the games are also closely contested clashes, with a competitiveness score of 92.9. The sides are incredibly well-matched, with Army just leading the way with 64 wins compared to Navy\u2019s 55.<\/p>\n
As the teams are so evenly matched, there\u2019s also a high amount of passion among fans. Their fan rivalry intensity score stands as the second highest in the top ten: an impressive 157.4!<\/p>\n
Despite the competitive and heated nature between the two teams, their online following isn\u2019t quite as big as some other teams on this list. With 1,150,000 views on YouTube, it\u2019s nothing to be sniffed at, but falls far behind other rivalries on this list.<\/p>\n
Regardless, the combined strength of their metrics across the board makes this statistically the biggest rivalry in college football!<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"editor_block","content":"
Runner-up in our rankings is the battle between border rivals Oklahoma and Texas. Their index score narrowly misses out on top spot, coming to 75.59 (only 0.07 off the Army-Navy game).<\/p>\n
Having existed for 127 years, it\u2019s another long-standing clash in college football. Though first played in 1900, it\u2019s been annually renewed since 1929, with the two teams playing 121 times in that period. A frequent fixture in the calendar, Oklahoma and Texas have played each other an average of 0.95 times a year.<\/p>\n
Throughout their meetings, the two teams appear to be fairly evenly matched. However, with Oklahoma taking home 65 wins, vs Texas\u2019 total of 51, they currently lead the historical feud. As 14 wins separate both teams, the competitiveness score is just lower than top spot, standing at 88.4.<\/p>\n
As Oklahoma and Texas are closely matched on the whole, emotions can clearly run high within their fanbases, with the rivalry intensity score coming to 138.9.<\/p>\n
Though it\u2019s slightly less competitive than first place, it has almost three times the viewership of the Army-Navy game, totaling 3,253,000 YouTube views. Despite this, there are still multiple rivalries that have much more online traction and attention!<\/p>\n
Overall, however, their scores place them in second place for our rankings!<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"editor_block","content":"
Rounding out the top three is Alabama against Tennessee, which is interestingly named the \u2018Third Saturday in October\u2019 rivalry. This showdown has been assigned a score of 73.28 after taking all metrics into account.<\/p>\n
As you could potentially guess, the matchup is named after the date the game was traditionally played on. This did change after the 1992 football season, however, as the Southeastern Conference split into East and West divisions.<\/p>\n
Though it\u2019s existed for 126 years, this clash has been a formal rivalry for the joint shortest amount of time in our top ten rankings. The two teams may have first faced off against each other in 1901, but have only played each other on 108 occasions, giving them a lower meetings per year average of 0.86.<\/p>\n
With 60 wins for Alabama and only 40 for Tennessee, it\u2019s a slightly more one-sided fixture, resulting in a lower competitiveness score of 81.5. The fan rivalry intensity score of 67.8 then appears to follow the same pattern of being a lower figure too.<\/p>\n
However, with 8,217,000 YouTube viewers, they have the second-largest online following out of the top ten rivalries. Largely helped by their viewership being so high, they manage to solidify their position in the top three!<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"editor_block","content":"
Moving onto fourth place, the game between Arizona and Arizona State is awarded a position in the top five. Scoring 71.73 in the index, they fall just behind the \u2018Third Saturday in October\u2019 rivalry.<\/p>\n
This clash was first played in 1899, meaning it\u2019s been around for 128 years. Since then, they haven\u2019t always had regular games, though, having only met on 99 different occasions. With less than 100 matches in 128 years, it gives them the second-lowest meetings per year in our top ten, with 0.77.<\/p>\n
When looking at the results of this game, it paints the picture of a tightly fought contest. Arizona\u2019s 52 wins and Arizona State\u2019s 45 gives them a high competitiveness score of 92.9; the same as the Army-Navy rivalry in top spot!<\/p>\n
Matching the highly competitive nature of the game, the fan rivalry intensity score is also impressive. Coming to 181.3, it\u2019s the highest out of all the teams and is 23.9 points more than the next highest (the \u2018Army-Navy\u2019 rivalry)!<\/p>\n
Surprisingly though, their online following contrasts with this drastically. With only 238,100 views on YouTube, it\u2019s almost half that of the next lowest in the rankings! That said, when considering the closeness of the rivalry and the intense passion from the fanbase, they deserve to be in fourth.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"editor_block","content":"
Completing the top five biggest college football rivalries is Minnesota versus Wisconsin. Falling only 0.39 behind the \u2018Duel in the Desert\u2019, they have an index score of 71.34.<\/p>\n
Having existed for 137 years, it joins the \u2018Army-Navy\u2019 as being the longest-standing feud between teams on this list. And with 135 recorded matchups, a meetings per year of 0.99 is the highest out of all the conflicts! Not only is it the most-played rivalry in our index, but also in the NCAA Division I!<\/p>\n
Throughout the 135 meetings, it\u2019s very evenly matched. Looking at the numbers, Minnesota\u2019s 64 wins beats Wisconsin\u2019s 63, and gives them a competitiveness score of 99.3 – the highest of all the rivalries!<\/p>\n
Despite this, the fan rivalry intensity score isn\u2019t proportionately as high, only being 109.8. Similarly, digital engagement has the same trend, as YouTube views are disproportionate compared to the rivalry\u2019s competitiveness (404,300).<\/p>\n
Though it has lower figures for both the fans and digital engagement, the competitiveness of the fixture and how closely matched the teams are gives this clash a place in the top five.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"editor_block","content":"
With an index score of 71.03, the rivalry between Oregon and Washington (aka the Cascade Clash) just misses out on being a part of the five biggest clashes in college football. With similar metrics across the board too, it\u2019s only 0.31 points behind Minnesota against Wisconsin in the index!<\/p>\n
After 127 years of the rivalry\u2019s existence, the two teams have played each other 118 times, giving them an average meetings per year of 0.93. Over the course of these matches, Oregon have come out on top 63 times as opposed to Washington\u2019s 50. <\/p>\n
Looking at the balance of these results, the contest has a competitiveness score of 89, making it the third highest in this metric among the top ten. Then, regarding fan rivalry intensity, the game scores 112.5 and beats both Minnesota versus Wisconsin (109.8) and the \u2018Third Saturday in October\u2019 (67.8) rivalries.<\/p>\n
Digital engagement here is also relatively high compared to other team feuds, with 2,728,000 views on YouTube making it the fourth highest in our top ten rankings.<\/p>\n
Taking all of this into account, the Cascade Clash has a fairly balanced rivalry. Considering its 127-year history and strong online viewership, it earns sixth spot.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"editor_block","content":"
With a history that dates back to 1895, adversaries Alabama and LSU (Louisiana State University) place in seventh position for our list, with a score of 69.67 in our index.<\/p>\n
Over the 132 years that this rivalry has been played, the two opponents have only faced each other 90 times \u2013 that\u2019s only 0.68 meetings per year!<\/p>\n
When the two have played, though, Alabama have dominated the proceedings, managing to claim victory on 58 occasions compared to LSU\u2019s 27. Because of their impressive winning capabilities in this fixture, the competitiveness score comes to 65.6 (the lowest in our index). The same can also be said for the fan rivalry intensity score which only comes to 56.<\/p>\n
What counteracts this, however, is the digital engagement that the fixture gets. Standing out as by far the most of any rivalry, this matchup has 10,120,000 YouTube views \u2013 1,903,000 more than the \u2018Third Saturday in October\u2019, which comes second in this metric!<\/p>\n
Despite having the lowest competitiveness and fan rivalry scores, the extreme online engagement boost this feud into seventh position.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"editor_block","content":"
Clemson and South Carolina\u2019s rivalry goes back as far as 1896 and represents a clash between two of South Carolina\u2019s biggest universities. The index score total came to 68.91, with a few strong scores across the board.<\/p>\n
The 131-year-old rivalry has been played 122 times throughout its history, meaning that the two sides have met an average of 0.93 times per year. However, one side has managed to see significantly more success than the other.<\/p>\n
Clemson have come out on top 30 times more than South Carolina, with 74 wins compared to their opponents\u2019 44. Because of the control that Clemson have enjoyed over the course of the rivalry, it gives a slightly lower competitiveness score of 75.4.<\/p>\n
Though this is the case, it hasn\u2019t deterred the fans, with their passion remaining strong. The fan rivalry intensity score for this matchup is the fourth highest, standing at 136 and only just behind that of the Red River Rivalry (138.9).<\/p>\n
If we then look into online engagement too, results show a strong 1,214,000 views on YouTube, placing them in fourth for this metric alone.<\/p>\n
Boosted by their higher meetings per year and the elevated digital engagement, the Palmetto Bowl rivalry ends up in eighth.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"editor_block","content":"
Coined the \u2018Civil War\u2019, the rivalry between Oregon and Oregon State has been played since 1894. Showing consistently solid numbers on the whole, this matchup scored 68.81 in the index.<\/p>\n
After being around for 133 years, it\u2019s the second longest rivalry in our index; and, having been played 129 times, \u2018the Civil War\u2019 occurs an average of 0.97 times every year.<\/p>\n
Again though, this rivalry has historically been led by one team: Oregon have managed to win on 70 occasions, which is 21 more times than Oregon State\u2019s 49. With a level of dominance, it\u2019s led to a middle-of-the-road competitiveness score of 83.7.<\/p>\n
Regardless of the control that Oregon has in this clash, however, a score of 114.1 for the fan rivalry intensity shows that tensions remain elevated between the two camps. Then, for the final metric, they\u2019ve managed to accrue a total of 1,000,000 YouTube views. This represents a solid online presence, though it still only betters two other feuds in our rankings for this statistic.<\/p>\n
With a reasonable online following, a long-standing history with consistent meetings, and notably engaged fans, Oregon versus Oregon State comes in ninth place. <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"editor_block","content":"
The final entry into our rankings and completing the top ten college football rivalries is the \u2018Egg Bowl\u2019. This clash is between Mississippi State and Ole Miss, receiving an overall score of 67.89 for our index.<\/p>\n
Beginning in 1901, the feud has existed for 126 years and has been played 122 times in that period. This means that the matchup has been a frequent fixture, with an average of 0.97 meetings a year.<\/p>\n
Dominating the proceedings, Mississippi State has taken control, winning 67 times and only losing 46. Considering that Ole Miss has 21 fewer wins, the fixture isn\u2019t up there with the most competitive, receiving a score of 82.8.<\/p>\n
Looking towards the fans, though, they\u2019ve managed a score of 118.8 for the intensity of their rivalry, placing fifth for this statistic. Then, with 1,038,000 views on YouTube, their digital engagement is seventh best.<\/p>\n
So, with moderate scoring overall, the \u2018Egg Bowl\u2019 rivalry rounds out the rankings and places in tenth position.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"editor_block","content":"
Now we\u2019ve covered ten of the biggest rivalries in college football, let\u2019s discuss which ones just missed out on the list.<\/p>\n
The feud between Bowling Green and Toledo just missed out on tenth place, being only 1.04 behind the Egg Bowl rivalry. Despite their competitiveness score of 100 and a strong fan rivalry intensity of 151.2, their low online engagement and the length of the rivalry lets them down. Having only existed for 108 years and only receiving 73,000 YouTube views, their score suffers too much to place higher.<\/p>\n
Twelfth place is then taken up by the Battle of the Bricks between Miami and Ohio. With no particularly strong stats, they just can\u2019t match up to some of the other rivalries out there. Their weaker metrics such as only having a 119-year history and a fan rivalry intensity score of 101.1 leaves them just short of the ten fiercest college football clashes.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"editor_block","content":"
Out of the top 20, some teams actually appear in multiple rivalries throughout. For example, Oregon, Alabama, and Georgia all appear in two! As they\u2019re included in more rivalries, they automatically set themselves apart as unique teams within college football.<\/p>\n
It seems to show that certain sides have an ability to create more rivalries than others. With most of these rivalries also being geographical (in the same state or neighboring states), it clearly demonstrates that they\u2019re somewhat of a benchmark for any opposition in the region.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"editor_block","content":"
When considering all the data, it\u2019s clear that some college football rivalries are bigger than others on paper. Our top ten ranking is able to show that regional rivalries are both common and fierce, with multiple showing up in our index. Things such as geographical proximity can clearly have an influence on the intensity of the rivalry, giving fans more to base their investment in the fixture on.<\/p>\n
But it must be remembered that these rankings are purely off the numbers and remove the raw emotional connection that fans will have to their teams. If you purely based it off the online engagement, Alabama versus LSU would top the rankings with ease. But this contrasts with the passion of fans, as the rivalry intensity score is the lowest of the top 20. So, it\u2019s clear that there are many other ways in which the biggest rivalries can be determined. <\/p>\n
When all is said and done, though, rivalries are an important part of sports and help inspire both passionate fans and loyalty from players. <\/p>\n