Big East rivalries

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The Big East Conference which was founded in 1979, features many ongoing rivalries amongst its members. Most deal with the basketball teams, the main athletic focus of the conference.

[edit] In-conference rivalries

  • Cincinnati Bearcats - University of Pittsburgh Panthers - The Paddlewheel Trophy has been created in significance of the Ohio River (which is in proximity to both schools) to the two cities.
  • Cincinnati Bearcats - Louisville Cardinals - In addition to their geographic proximity, these schools have been in the same conference (the Metro, Conference USA, and the Big East) almost continuously since 1975. Their rivalry is intense in both basketball and football.Each year, the football winner is awarded the Keg of Nails.
  • Georgetown Hoyas - Syracuse Orange - These two basketball teams are part of a rivalry stretching back to the founding of the Big East.
  • Georgetown Hoyas - St. John's Red Storm The two non-football schools had their basketball teams rise to prominence in the 1980s, having numerous meetings that impacted the NCAA Championship as well as the Big East title. Both teams were known for their charismatic coaches, John Thompson at Georgetown and Lou Carnesecca at St. John's. Rivalry has declined in recent years.
  • Louisville Cardinals - West Virginia Mountaineers (Braxton Trophy in football)
  • Louisville Cardinals - Marquette Golden Eagles - The schools have played several intense basketball games in the past 10 years that have often come down to the final shot of regulation or overtime.
  • Marquette Golden Eagles - Pitt Panthers - A burgeoning rivalry, Marquette defeated Pittsburgh in the 2003 NCAA Tournament, and played a very heated home and home series in 2006.
  • Pitt Panthers - West Virginia Mountaineers - The Backyard Brawl in football now spreads into basketball, with exceptionally intense fan involvement.
  • Rutgers Scarlet Knights - Seton Hall Pirates - Another rivalry born of proximity, the two schools are New Jersey's biggest in college athletics.
  • Syracuse Orange - West Virginia Mountaineers (Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy)

[edit] Rivalries with out of conference teams

  • Cincinnati Bearcats - Xavier (Atlantic 10): The Crosstown Shootout in basketball
  • Cincinnati Bearcats - Miami (OH) (Mid-American Conference): The oldest and 11th-longest running rivalry in NCAA Division I football.
  • University of Connecticut Huskies - UMass - Stemming from a resurgence of UMass basketball in the mid-1990s, fans of both teams clamored for a renewal of this regional basketball rivalry. The resulting MassMutual UGame pitted the two schools in an annual contest between 1996-2006. UConn won all but one game in the new series, and the teams were unable to reach an agreement on continuing the series past 2006.
  • Connecticut Huskies - University of Rhode Island Rams The rivalry has been spotty in most sports ever since the fall of the old Yankee Conference and UConn's move from Division I-AA (where the schools were both members of the A-10) to I-A in football. The two teams formerly competed for the Ramnapping Trophy.
  • Connecticut Huskies - Tennessee (SEC): This rivalry is exclusive to women's basketball, in which both schools have been among the country's most dominant programs in recent years. For a more complete discussion, see UConn-Tennessee rivalry.
  • Louisville Cardinals - University of Kentucky Wildcats (SEC), Battle for the Bluegrass in basketball; and the Governor's Cup in football
  • Marquette Golden Eagles - Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten) Just 70 miles apart, the two teams have played over 120 times in men's basketball.
  • Marquette Golden Eagles - Milwaukee Panthers (Horizon League) Crosstown schools have heated rivalries in every sport except men's basketball.
  • Pittsburgh Panthers - Penn State Nittany Lions (Big Ten) This 96 year old rivalry currently lies dormant though there is continued talk from both sides to renew the rivalry.
  • Providence Friars - University of Rhode Island Rams: The annual Rhode Island State Championship game is played between these schools once a year. The rivalry heated up once again in 2006 with conflict between the Providence Friar student section and URI President Robert Carouthers.
  • Rutgers Scarlet Knights - Princeton University Tigers (Ivy League) Teams played the first college football game. Rivalry active since 1860s; currently active in all sports except football.
  • Villanova Wildcats - University of Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens Always the last game of the season for each team and usually carries playoff implications for at least one team. Because of the close proximity of the schools (less than one hour apart) many opposing fans find their way to the games each year.
  • West Virginia Mountaineers - Marshall University : This rivalry is between the only two Division I football schools in the state of West Virginia.

In addition to the listed out of conference rivalries, Villanova is one of the participants in the heated five-way rivalry that has developed out of the Philadelphia Big 5 basketball series. This round-robin series is played every year between Penn, Temple, Saint Joseph's, La Salle, and Villanova.

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