College football is the greatest. At the heart of the emotional investment in the sport are the “Three Ps”: pride, passion, and pageantry. Nowhere is that more fiercely felt than in college football rivalries, where two teams redefine the words “bitter” and “hatred.” Some of these are nearly as old as the sport itself, but what are the longest continuous college football rivalries?
The Rivalry
Teams: Lehigh vs. Lafayette
Division: FCS
First Meeting: 1884
Continuous Since: 1897
All-Time Record: Lafayette leads 82-73-5
Paul Bunyan’s Axe
Teams: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1890
Continuous Since: 1907
All-Time Record: Series tied 63-63-8
NC State-Wake Forest Rivalry
Teams: NC State vs. Wake Forest
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1895
Continuous Since: 1910
All-Time Record: NC State leads 69-43-6
Sunflower Showdown
Teams: Kansas vs. Kansas State
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1902
Continuous Since: 1911
All-Time Record: Kansas leads 65-52-5
Farmageddon
Teams: Iowa State vs. Kansas State
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1917
Continuous Since: 1917
All-Time Record: Iowa State leads 55-50-4
South’s Oldest Rivalry
Teams: North Carolina vs. Virginia
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1892
Continuous Since: 1919
All-Time Record: North Carolina leads 67-58-4
Longest Interrupted College Football Rivalries
These college football rivalries had reached epic streaks before being interrupted for various reasons.
Some, like the Lone Star Showdown and Border War, have returned to the college football schedule in the wake of college football realignment, shifting the landscape of the game once more.
Bedlam Series
Teams: Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1904
Continuous Years: 1904-2023
Length: 118 years
Reason: Oklahoma moved to SEC
All-Time Record: Oklahoma leads 91-20-7
Clemson-South Carolina
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1896
Continuous Years: 1909-2019
Length: 111 years
Reason: COVID-19
All-Time Record: Clemson leads 73-44-4
Wabash-DePauw (Monon Bell)
Division: Division III
First Meeting: 1890
Continuous Years: 1911-2019
Length: 109 years
Reason: COVID-19
Nebraska-Kansas
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1892
Continuous Years: 1902-2010
Length: 105 years
Reason: Nebraska moved to the Big Ten
All-Time Record: Nebraska leads 91-23-3
Michigan-Ohio State (The Game)
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1897
Continuous Years: 1918-2019
Length: 102 years
Reason: COVID-19
All-Time Record:Â Michigan leads 62-51-6
Dartmouth-Cornell
Division: FCS
First Meeting: 1900
Continuous Years: 1919-2019
Length: 101 years
Reason: COVID-19
Penn-Cornell
Division: FCS
First Meeting: 1893
Continuous Years: 1919-2019
Length: 101 years
Reason: COVID-19
Purdue-Indiana (Old Oaken Bucket)
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1891
Continuous Years: 1920-2019
Length: 100 years
Reason: COVID-19
All-Time Record:Â Purdue leads 77-43-6
Texas-Texas A&M (Lone Star Showdown)
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1894
Continuous Years: 1915-2011
Length: 97 years
Reason: Texas A&M moved to the SEC
Oklahoma-Kansas
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1903
Continuous Years: 1903-1997
Length: 95 years
Reason: Big 12 Divisions were created (resumed annually in 2011)
Missouri-Kansas (Border War)
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1891
Continuous Years: 1919-2011
Length: 93 years
Reason: Missouri moved to the SEC
All-Time Record:Â Missouri leads 58-54-9
Missouri-Iowa State (Telephone Trophy)
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1896
Continuous Years: 1919-2011
Length: 93 years
Reason: Missouri moved to the SEC
All-Time Record: Missouri leads 61-34-9
Nebraska-Iowa State
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1896
Continuous Years: 1921-2010
Length: 90 years
Reason: Nebraska moved to the Big Ten
All-Time Record: Nebraska leads 86-17-2
Nebraska-Kansas State
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1911
Continuous Years: 1922-2010
Length: 89 years
Reason: Nebraska moved to the Big Ten
All-Time Record: Nebraska leads 78-15-2
Ohio State-Illinois (Illibuck Trophy)
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1902
Continuous Years: 1914-2022
Length: 89 years
Reason: Big Ten’s non-round robin scheduling began
Presbyterian-Newberry (The Bronze Derby)
Division: Division II
First Meeting: 1913
Continuous Years: 1919-2006
Length: 88 years
Reason: Presbyterian moved to Division I
