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Rivalries between college programs date back so far that they have produced some of the greatest matchups in all of sports.
Professional sports certainly have their rivalries, and there have been eras where professional rivalries rivaled — or even surpassed — those in college sports. There was the peak of the Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, the New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox, the Detroit Red Wings vs. Colorado Avalanche, and many more that transcended sports. Everyone knew about those rivalries, whether they were sports fans or not.
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But above all else, college sports have always had something different.
They have traditions that have been built over decades upon decades, and to this day the rivalries between universities burn brighter than ever. Professional rivalries eventually lose some of their lust with no backbone behind the rivalry other than a period of time both teams didn’t like each other.
Not college sports.
Whether it’s Auburn vs. Alabama, Michigan vs. Ohio State, or a litany of others, those rivalries never truly disappear.
These matchups bring out the best — and sometimes the worst — in people who haven’t even been on Earth for a quarter of the time these programs have been battling one another. These rivalries have endured through championships, losing streaks, dynasties, and blowouts.
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Once you become part of a program, you become influenced, persuaded, or downright brainwashed into having a deep dislike for certain schools. Coaches understand it too. They know one of the quickest ways to win over a fan base is by taking a shot at a rival.
When it happens in college sports, it just feels natural.
When a professional coach does it — like Ben Johnson talking trash about the Green Bay Packers after taking the Chicago Bears job — it just comes across as cringeworthy.
Now that we’re all on the same page about the romance of college rivalries, the reason I even bring all of this up is because of a graphic that was posted…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/michigan-state-vs-michigan-basketball-161919136.html
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Publish date : 2026-07-02 16:19:00
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