College football is at its best when the season reaches rivalry week. Rankings matter less, records matter less, and everything comes down to pride, history, and one game that people remember for years.
Some rivalries are more than a century old. Some have trophies shaped like axes, jugs, or bronze pigs. Others have no trophy at all, just pure emotion and a fan base that treats the matchup like a holiday. That is what makes these games so special.
What Makes a Rivalry Great?
The best rivalries usually share a few things: close geography, long history, meaningful stakes, and a game that both campuses treat like a major event. A great rivalry does not need a trophy to matter, but it usually has one. And it almost always has a past full of close finishes, famous moments, and seasons that were changed by one afternoon.
With that in mind, here are the rivalries that define college football.
1. Michigan vs. Ohio State — “The Game”
If you ask most college football fans to name the sport’s biggest rivalry, this is usually the first answer. Michigan and Ohio State first played in 1897, when Michigan won 34-0 in Ann Arbor. The schools also note that the rivalry has been played almost every year since 1918, with the 2020 cancellation breaking a 102-year stretch. In the most recent game, Ohio State beat Michigan 27-9 on Nov. 29, 2025. The two schools’ official pages handle the vacated 2010 game differently, so the exact series count is listed differently across official athletics pages, but both agree this is the sport’s most watched regular-season showdown.
2. Alabama vs. Auburn — “The Iron Bowl”
The Iron Bowl began on Feb. 22, 1893, when Auburn beat Alabama 32-22. Alabama’s official opponent history now shows the Crimson Tide leading the series 52-37-1, and the most recent meeting ended with Alabama’s 27-20 win on Nov. 29, 2025. The rivalry is still defined by chaos, and the 2013 “Kick Six” remains one of the most replayed plays in football history.
3. Army vs. Navy
Army-Navy is one of college football’s purest traditions. The rivalry started in 1890, and the schools’ official records show a matchup that has been played 126 times through 2025, with Navy leading 64-55-7 on Navy’s page. The game has been continuous since 1930, and the next edition is scheduled for Dec. 12, 2026 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which will be the 127th Army-Navy Game. The latest two meetings went to Navy: 31-13 in 2024 and 17-16 in 2025.
4. Texas vs. Oklahoma — “The Red River Rivalry”
Played at the Cotton Bowl during the State Fair of Texas, Texas-Oklahoma is one of the most distinctive games in sports. The 2025 meeting ended with Texas beating Oklahoma 23-6 on Oct. 11, 2025, and the game remains a neutral-site October tradition in Dallas. Both schools are now SEC members, and the 2026 matchup is already listed for Oct. 10 in Dallas. That combination of fairgrounds, split crowd, and conference stakes keeps this rivalry at the top of the sport’s list every year.
5. USC vs. Notre Dame
USC and Notre Dame have played each other since 1926, and the series has remained one of the great non-conference traditions in college football. USC’s official history page shows the 2025 meeting ended in a 34-24 Notre Dame win in South Bend. The two schools have kept the series alive through realignment, which is one reason it still feels special in the modern era.
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6. Georgia vs. Florida
Georgia-Florida is still one of the SEC’s most recognizable neutral-site games. The teams meet every year in Jacksonville, and the 2025 game went to Georgia, 24-20, on Nov. 1, 2025. The official record differs slightly depending on whether you use Georgia’s or Florida’s page, but both sides agree the rivalry is close, historic, and hugely important in the SEC race. Georgia’s page lists the all-time series at 58-44-2, while Florida’s page lists it from the opposite perspective at 44-57-2.
7. Michigan vs. Michigan State — “Paul Bunyan Trophy”
Michigan State’s official page shows the rivalry dating back to 1898, and it currently lists Michigan ahead 75-38-5 after Michigan’s 31-20 win on Oct. 25, 2025. This is one of the biggest in-state rivalries in the country, and it has repeatedly derailed title hopes on both sides. The Paul Bunyan Trophy gives the game extra identity, but the real trophy is usually momentum.
8. BYU vs. Utah — “The Holy War”
BYU and Utah are back in the same power-conference neighborhood now that both schools are in the Big 12. Utah’s official history page shows the Utes leading the series 52-31-4, and the most recent meeting ended with BYU’s 24-21 win on Oct. 18, 2025 in Provo. The Big 12 move has restored this game to annual relevance, and that has only made the rivalry feel bigger.
9. Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State — “The Egg Bowl”
The Egg Bowl began in 1901 and remains the SEC’s Thanksgiving-week rivalry game. It is famous for wild finishes, weird endings, and the kind of postgame moments people still talk about for years. This is one of those games where records can be ignored, because drama usually takes over by the fourth quarter.
10. Florida State vs. Miami
Florida State and Miami have built one of the ACC’s most heated rivalries despite having less history than some of the others on this list. Florida State’s official page shows the latest meeting ended with Miami beating FSU 28-22 on Oct. 4, 2025, and Miami’s official page says the Hurricanes have led the series for years, with the rivalry played every season since 1969. The famous kicking heartbreaks — wide rights and wide lefts — still define the series for many fans.
Honorable Mentions
The Apple Cup belongs here too. Washington’s official page shows the rivalry dating to 1900, with Washington beating Washington State 59-24 on Sept. 20, 2025. Oregon-Oregon State also deserves a spot: Oregon’s official page shows the rivalry dating to 1894, with Oregon beating Oregon State 41-7 on Sept. 20, 2025, and the schools have already scheduled future meetings again.
Final Whistle
What makes college football special is not just championships. It is the rivalry games that turn an ordinary Saturday into something that feels permanent. These are the matchups where a bad season can be salvaged, a great season can be ruined, and a single result can live forever in school history.
Whether it is The Game, the Iron Bowl, Army-Navy, or the Red River Rivalry, these are the contests that make college football more than a sport.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the biggest rivalry in college football?
Michigan vs. Ohio State is widely considered the biggest rivalry in the sport. The series began in 1897, the schools have met nearly every year since 1918, and the 2025 game ended with Ohio State winning 27-9.
Which rivalry has the longest active winning streak?
That changes over time. As of the most recent official pages checked here, Navy has the edge in the Army-Navy series and won the last two games, while Alabama’s 2025 Iron Bowl win stretched its current run over Auburn to six straight.
What is the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy?
It is awarded to the winner of the round-robin among Army, Navy, and Air Force. Army and Navy are the biggest annual spotlight game in that competition.
Why do Texas and Oklahoma play at a neutral site?
The Red River Rivalry is played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas during the State Fair of Texas, which creates one of college football’s most distinctive atmospheres. The game remains scheduled there in 2026.
Are old rivalries affected by conference realignment?
Yes. BYU and Utah are back in the same conference, which has restored regular Big 12 relevance to the Holy War. USC and Notre Dame have also kept their series alive even without sharing a conference.
Andrew has been a die-hard football fan for over 7 years, following the NFL, college football, and CFL. He started covering football schedules and game analysis in 2019 after noticing how hard it was to find accurate, clean schedule information in one place. He covers all 32 NFL teams, major college conferences, and the full CFL season from kickoff through the Grey Cup.