Rivalries are a large part of what makes college football the most watched sport in America. They increase fan interaction, give the players and the fans something to be excited about during an off year. Without rivalries many schools would have trouble with fan bases during off year(or decades as the case may be) and resultingly would have trouble feilding a team. Rivalries draw recriuts into a program because they know that they will finally be abole to particapate in this event which has drawn so much hype in the past, it will allow them to gain national celebrity. Every school, no matter size or ability level has at least one major rivalry a year, many schools two or even three rivarly match ups a year. Rivalries are played for the future of the program trophies such as the Little Brown Jug (Minnesota-Michigan), The Jeweled Shalay (Notre Dame-USC), and the Apple Cup (Washington-Washington State). The main reason rivalries are played is for pride at that is why they illustrate the difference between college football (and its fans devotion) in comparison to its professional counterpart.
1. Army-Navy
"The Army Navy Game" This heated rivalry began in 1899 and has become the greatest rivalry in college football because more often than not these teams have nothing to play for but pride, and that has made for some very interesting match-ups. Army leads 49-46-7 "The Game" Played between the future doctors and lawyers of the nation this game, since its inception in 1875, has been played 115 times and often deifens how fans view the success of a season. Yale leads 64-46-8 "The Iron Bowl" Since the first meeting between these teams in 1893 this has becoem the greatest rivarly to any person living in the state of Alabama. The fan support of this rivarly is unsurpassed throghout the nation, if I lived in Alabama and rated it this low my life would be in jeopardy. Alabama leads 38-27-1 The fever of this rivalry can only be surpassed by a national championship appearance in the eyes of the players. A victory here can deifne a season and since its inception in 1897 a defeat can also define a season and a coaches contract. Michigan leads 56-36-6 "The Lone Star State Shwodown" The day after Thanksgiving time slot(gained in 1983) has allowed this 100-year-old rivalry to reach the national spot light in recent years. It is simply the nations biggest football states grandest rivalry. Texas leads 69-34-5 This farily young rivalry reached this high on the list because when these to teams meet national title implecations are nearly always on the line. The teams have meet 17 times with both teams ranked in the Top 10 nationally, since the inception of the rivalry in 1912, and have met 13 times with one team being rated as the best team in the nation. Oklahoma leads 40-37-3 "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" This game is now played on a neutral site in Jacksonville, Florida where tickets are split evenly between the schools, this creates a unique feel during the game which is also called "The House Divided." Georgia leads 45-33-2 The close outcomes of the math-up between these two teams (see Wide Right 1&2 and Wide Left) compells many fans to match this mathup, this increases the significance of the rivarly that has plaeyd a role in determining the national champion several times during the last 25 years. The rivalry is young, only slightly over 50 meetings old but is already one of the nations greatest. Miami leads 25-20 "Big Game" Played for the Stanford Ax. The first meeting between these teams was in 1892 and the rivalry is highlghted by "The Play" which concluded the 1980 contest between the teams. Stanford leads 54-39-11
The Play "The Civil War" The sixth oldest rivalry played between the ducks and the beavers is one of the most hotly contested rivalries in the nation, as one can see by the nickname. The first meeting was 1894 and became an annual event in 1912. in Oregon leads 53-42-1 Work Cited