ARIZONA STATE FOOTBALL

How does the Territorial Cup game compare to other in-state rivalries?

Nov 21, 2017, 1:52 PM | Updated: Nov 22, 2017, 11:22 am

Arizona State players hold the Territorial Cup after an NCAA college football game against Arizona,...

Arizona State players hold the Territorial Cup after an NCAA college football game against Arizona, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in Tempe, Ariz. Arizona State won 52-37. (AP Photo/Matt York)

(AP Photo/Matt York)

TEMPE, Ariz. — It is surprising how few great in-state rivalries exist in college football. Sure, every state thinks its rivalry is swell, a big deal, must-see TV, but that’s normally just a case of myopic provincialism.

By and large, the better and more significant rivalries (historically or currently) cross state borders.

Think Ohio State-Michigan, Texas-Oklahoma, Alabama-LSU, Notre Dame-USC or Army-Navy. Those are among the nation’s top 10 rivalries of all-time, and there may only be two or three in-state rivalries that rival them.

The spread-out geography of conferences and the instances of in-state rivals playing in different conferences plays a role. So does the historical significance of many in-state rivalries. If your game never means anything outside your state, well, then it’s not going to mean anything to anyone living outside your state, aside from alumni.

Take a look at the in-state rivalries most pundits and fans discuss and you can make a strong argument that the Pac-12 has the best collection of in-state rivalries in the nation. It helps that the old Pac-10 (and before it the Pac-8) was set up in such a manner that it had two teams each in Oregon, Washington and Arizona and four in California (two in each region). The additions of Colorado and Utah in 2011 are the only outliers in the conference’s natural in-state conflicts.

With the Territorial Cup game on tap this Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium, we developed an unscientific approach of six key measures to compare the best in-state rivalries. Although we mentioned Army-Navy above, we are confining this to teams in Power Five conferences. Sorry, Harvard-Yale and BYU (independent)-Utah.

If you’re not in a big-name conference, not as many folks are paying attention. We only mention Army-Navy because it’s unique, it’s national in scope and it’s oozing with tradition and emotional significance because of the service these academies provide the nation.

We stopped trying to figure out the best rivalries in the state of Texas. There are just too many teams, and we left out Kansas State-Kansas, because, well, Kansas is always awful.


Top in-state rivalries

Auburn-Alabama

Name/Trophy: The Iron Bowl

Same conference: Yes, both play in the SEC.

Postseason significance: Alabama is a perennial national championship contender; Auburn is a frequent national championship contender and both are regularly in the hunt for the SEC title.

Biggest respective rivals overall: That’s debatable. Alabama coach Nick Saban will tell you the Crimson Tide’s biggest rival is Tennessee and fans and pundits might say it’s LSU.

Attendance/game-day atmosphere: You won’t find a better one.

Pro or college dilution: Auburn and Alabama are the only Power Five teams in the state and there are no major professional teams in Alabama. This is the only game in town and the nation’s best in-state rivalry.


Michigan-Michigan State

Name/Trophy: Paul Bunyan Trophy

Same conference: Yes. Both play in the Big Ten.

Postseason significance: Michigan and Michigan State are regularly in contention for the East Division and conference titles, and both have been national contenders, with MSU making the four-team College Football Playoff in 2016.

Biggest respective rivals overall: No. Michigan’s historic rival is Ohio State. That is arguably college football’s greatest all-time rivalry.

Attendance/game-day atmosphere: Big Ten atmosphere rivals the SEC for the best in the nation. The Big House and Ann Arbor are legendary, but MSU is a campus-wide sea of green and tents and food and festivities on game days. It’s amazing.

Pro or college dilution: Detroit sucks some of the wind out of these teams’ sails with a full complement of major pro sports teams, but these towns are far enough away to hold their own.


Oklahoma-Oklahoma State

 

Name/Trophy: The Bedlam Series/Bedlam Bell

Same conference: Both play in the Big 12.

Postseason significance: Oklahoma is a regular national title contender. Oklahoma State has only one conference title since 1976 (2011) but is regularly among the conference’s top four or five teams.

Biggest respective rivals overall: No. Texas is Oklahoma’s biggest rival and that is still one of the nation’s all-time greatest rivalries despite Texas’ recent struggles.

Attendance/game-day atmosphere: The game has not always sold out in Stillwater, but the pre-game atmosphere is festive.

Pro or college dilution: These are the only Power Five teams in the state and the NBA is the only major pro sport in Oklahoma.


Indiana-Purdue

Name/Trophy: Old Oaken Bucket

Same conference: Both play in the Big Ten.

Postseason significance: These teams are rarely in the mix for division titles, let alone conference titles.

Biggest respective rivals overall: We think so, but honestly, nobody cares outside the basketball state of Indiana.

Attendance/game-day atmosphere: Fair, but not up to Big Ten standards.

Pro or college dilution: Indianapolis has an NFL team. Notre Dame is not a Power Five team, but the Fighting Irish are definitely the state’s biggest deal when it comes to college football.


Illinois-Northwestern

Name/Trophy: Land of Lincoln Trophy

Same conference: Both play in the Big Ten.

Postseason significance: Illinois has been horrid for a long time. Northwestern has been a decent bowl team, but it hasn’t won a conference title since 2000.

Biggest respective rivals overall: Um, who else would declare these teams their rivals?

Attendance/game-day atmosphere: Northwestern’s Ryan Field is a low-quality facility that generally sports many empty seats.

Pro or college dilution: Illinois is the big game in the Champaign-Urbana area three hours south of Chicago, and these are the only two Power Five teams in the state of Illinois, but in Chicago, Northwestern is an afterthought to the Bears, Cubs, Blackhawks, Bulls and White Sox.


Florida State-Miami

Name/Trophy: Sunshine Showdown

Same conference: Both play in the ACC.

Postseason significance: While Florida State is surprisingly down this year, Miami is back to its previous prominence, lending hope that this could once again become one of college football’s most important rivalries.

Biggest respective rivals overall: That’s debatable. See the rivalry below this one.

Attendance/game-day atmosphere: Top notch at Florida State, hit and miss at Miami.

Pro or college dilution: Miami has all four major pro sports teams, Tampa has three and Jacksonville has one, and the state of Florida has that third Power Five team.


Florida-Miami

 

Name/Trophy: Seminole War Canoe

Same conference: No. Miami plays in the ACC; Florida plays in the SEC.

Postseason significance: There was a time when this game took on huge importance. Florida won the SEC East the last two years, but the Gators have not been national title contenders since coach Urban Meyer left after the 2010 season.

Biggest respective rivals overall: Florida State factors into this debate.

Attendance/game-day atmosphere: Top notch at Florida, hit and miss at Miami.

Pro or college dilution: Miami has all four major pro sports teams, Tampa has three and Jacksonville has one, and the state of Florida has that third Power Five team.


Florida State-Florida

Name/Trophy: Florida Cup

Same conference: No. Florida State plays in the ACC; Florida plays in the SEC.

Postseason significance: See two previously listed rivalries.

Biggest respective rivals overall: Miami factors into the debate.

Attendance/game-day atmosphere: Top-notch.

Pro or college dilution: Gainesville and Tallahassee are far enough away from the metropolitan areas of Miami, Tampa-St Petersburg and Jacksonville to hold their own.


Virginia Tech-Virginia

Name/Trophy: Commonwealth Cup

Same conference: Both teams play in the ACC.

Postseason significance: Rarely any. Virginia Tech is an occasional player on the conference and national scenes. Virginia is not.

Biggest respective rivals overall: Yes, but this game barely registers outside the state.

Attendance/game-day atmosphere: Better in Blacksburg than in Charlottesville.

Pro or college dilution: These are the only two Power Five teams in the state and Virginia has no pro major sports.


Duke-North Carolina

Name/Trophy: Victory Bell

Same conference: Both play in the ACC.

Postseason significance: Wait, are we talking basketball?

Biggest respective rivals overall: Yes, although North Carolina State is in the mix.

Attendance/game-day atmosphere: Good, but not on par with the SEC or bigger ACC programs.

Pro or college dilution: The NFL, NHL and NBA all call North Carolina home and N.C. State is another Power Five team.


Mississippi-Mississippi State

Name/Trophy: The Egg Bowl/Golden Egg Trophy

Same conference: Both play in the SEC.

Postseason significance: Both teams have been better of late, but they are still not powers in the SEC.

Biggest respective rivals overall: Yes.

Attendance/game-day atmosphere: The Big Ten is the only conference that can rival the SEC for game-day atmosphere, but this game is special, from the name of the trophy to the Rebel Walk to those annoying cowbells.

Pro or college dilution: This is the only game that matters in a state that has no major pro sports or other Power Five teams.


Tennessee-Vanderbilt

Name/Trophy: None

Same conference: Both play in the SEC.

Postseason significance: Tennessee hasn’t been a player in a while; Vanderbilt never is.

Biggest respective rivals overall: Tennessee has rivalries with Alabama and Kentucky. Vanderbilt has imagined rivals.

Attendance/game-day atmosphere: Actually, it’s underrated but well attended, and any excuse to go to Nashville is a good one.

Pro or college dilution: Nashville has an NFL team and an immensely popular NHL team; Memphis has an NBA team. Tennessee has no other Power Five teams.


Clemson-South Carolina

Name/Trophy: The Palmetto Bowl

Same conference: No. Clemson plays in the ACC; South Carolina plays in the SEC.

Postseason significance: Clemson won the national championship last year. South Carolina is a regular bowl team.

Biggest respective rivals overall: Yes.

Attendance/game-day atmosphere: Raucous.

Pro or college dilution: There are no major pro teams or other Power Five teams in South Carolina.


Iowa-Iowa State

Name/Trophy: Cy-Hawk Trophy

Same conference: No. Iowa plays in the Big Ten; Iowa State plays in the Big 12.

Postseason significance: Both teams are regular bowl participants but rarely conference contenders.

Biggest respective rivals overall: Probably, although both have a number of (probably too many) decent conference rivalries.

Attendance/game-day atmosphere: Iowa City in particular is a terrific stop if you want to tour some of college football’s best cities.

Pro or college dilution: There are no major pro sports in Iowa and no other Power Five teams.


Georgia-Georgia Tech

Name/Trophy: Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate/Governor’s Cup

Same conference: No. Georgia plays in the SEC; Georgia Tech plays in the ACC.

Postseason significance: The Bulldogs are still in contention for the national title. Tech is rarely a player in the conference discussion.

Biggest respective rivals overall: Debatable. Georgia has some heated rivalries in the SEC.

Attendance/game-day atmosphere: Better in Athens than Atlanta.

Pro or college dilution: Atlanta has NBA, NFL and MLB teams. Georgia has no other Power Five teams.


Arizona State-Arizona

Name/Trophy: Territorial Cup

Same conference: Both play in the Pac-12.

Postseason significance: Both teams have been in recent contention for the Pac-12 South and conference’s titles, but neither is considered the conference’s top dogs.

Biggest respective rivals overall: Yes.

Attendance/game-day atmosphere: It’s been a sore spot with both these schools’ alumni for years. ASU has made great strides in recent years to improve its game-day atmosphere, but there is only so much you can do on concrete walkways in 100-degree heat.

Pro or college dilution: Phoenix has a full complement of major pro sports.


Cal-Stanford

Name/Trophy: The Big Game/The Stanford Axe

Same conference: Both play in the Pac-12.

Postseason significance: Stanford is a regular conference contender and sometimes a national title contender. Cal hasn’t made that claim in a decade.

Biggest respective rivals overall: Yes.

Attendance/game-day atmosphere: Decent, but not as great as alumni would have you believe. Strawberry Canyon is still one of the best college settings in the country. Stanford game days are often disappointing.

Pro or college dilution: The Bay Area is home to two NFL teams, the NBA champions, two MLB teams and an NHL team. There are no other Power Five teams in northern California.


Oregon-Oregon State

Name/Trophy: The Civil War/Platypus Trophy

Same conference: Both play in the Pac-12.

Postseason significance: Until the past two seasons, Oregon was a regular national title contender.

Biggest respective rivals overall: For Oregon State, yes, but Washington is also a factor for Oregon.

Attendance/game-day atmosphere: Eugene and Corvallis are two terrific towns to visit, and Autzen Stadium is one of the best game-day atmospheres in the country.

Pro or college dilution: Far to the north, Portland has an NBA team but these are the only Power Five teams in the state and the Ducks carry greater weight than the Trail Blazers.


Washington-Washington State

Name/Trophy: The Apple Cup

Same conference: Yes. Both play in the Pac-12.

Postseason significance: Washington made the College Football Playoff last season. Washington State can win the Pac-12 North if it wins this game on Saturday.

Biggest respective rivals overall: For, Washington State yes, but Oregon is also a factor for Washington.

Attendance/game-day atmosphere: Martin Stadium in an underappreciated gem in the middle of campus; Husky Stadium is a spectacular setting on the water and the game-day atmosphere is fantastic as long as it isn’t raining.

Pro or college dilution: Seattle has NFL, MLB and … oops, no NBA team. These are the only Power Five teams in the state.


USC-UCLA

Name/Trophy: Victory Bell

Same conference: Yes. Both play in the Pac-12.

Postseason significance: UCLA has won the Pac-12 South twice since its creation in 2011; USC is a national title contender although it has often disappointed on that front in recent years.

Biggest respective rivals overall: Probably, although as we mentioned earlier, Notre Dame is still a big deal to USC.

Attendance/game-day atmosphere: Meh. It’s L.A., but the Rose Bowl is as picturesque a setting as you’ll find.

Pro or college dilution: The Los Angeles-Anaheim area has two MLB teams, two NFL teams, two NBA teams and two NHL teams. Like most major American metropolitan areas (New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Boston, the Bay Area), college sports take a backseat to pro sports.


Penn State-Pittsburgh

Name/Trophy: The Keystone Classic

Same conference: No. Penn State plays in the Big Ten; Pitt plays in the ACC.

Postseason significance: Penn State has resumed national prominence. Pitt has not.

Biggest respective rivals overall: Probably not. They stopped playing for 16 years before resuming in 2016. You don’t do that with a rival. Ohio State is a big deal to Penn State.

Attendance/game-day atmosphere: It’s hard to even comment since the series has only resumed for two seasons.

Pro or college dilution: These are the only Power Five teams in the state but Pittsburgh has NFL, MLB and NHL teams. Philadelphia to the east has NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL teams.

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How does the Territorial Cup game compare to other in-state rivalries?