This is a list of college rivalries in the United States.
School rivalries are common in the United States, and are prevalent in intercollegiate sports. Rivalries can be defined as two teams who have a history of competitiveness that effects more than just the players on the field. Rivalries within sports conferences are listed below. Some rivalries, such as the Indiana–Kentucky rivalry, take place between two schools from different conferences.
By athletic conference
ACC rivalries
Basketball and football are typically the focus of sports rivalries in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), though most rivalries bridge across all sports. Notable rivalries include:
All sports
- Conference
Florida State–Miami rivalry
Tobacco Road (Duke Blue Devils/NC State Wolfpack/North Carolina Tar Heels/Wake Forest Demon Deacons) Carolina–Duke rivalry Carolina–State rivalry Virginia–Virginia Tech rivalry South's Oldest Rivalry Syracuse–Boston College From 2024–25: California–Stanford
- Non-conference
Green Line Rivalry (Boston College vs Boston U.) Kentucky–Louisville rivalry Syracuse–UConn rivalry
Basketball
- Conference
North Carolina vs. Duke
NC State vs. North Carolina
NC State vs. Wake Forest
- Non-conference
Commonwealth Classic (Boston College vs UMass) – first played in 1905. Duke vs. Maryland Duke–Michigan men's basketball rivalry – first played in 1963. Kentucky-Louisville Rivalry (Louisville vs. Kentucky)
Football
- Conference
Boston College vs. Syracuse – first played in 1924. Boston College vs. Virginia Tech – first played in 1993. California vs. Stanford – Will become an ACC rivalry when the two schools join in 2024. First played in 1892, and most famous for the surreal ending to their 1982 matchup. Clemson–Georgia Tech football rivalry – first played in 1898. Clemson vs. Florida State – first played in 1970. Commonwealth Cup (Virginia vs. Virginia Tech) – first played in 1895, the trophy was created in 1996. Florida State vs Miami – first played in 1951. Jefferson–Eppes Trophy (Virginia vs. Florida State) – first played in 1992, trophy was created in 1995. Miami vs. Virginia Tech – first played in 1953. North Carolina–Wake Forest rivalry – the oldest rivalry in the state of North Carolina, first played in 1888. North Carolina–NC State football rivalry (NC State vs. North Carolina) – first played in 1894. NC State vs. Wake Forest – the ACC's longest continuously played rivalry, since 1910, first played in 1895. O'Rourke–McFadden Trophy (Clemson vs. Boston College) – first played in 1940, the trophy was first awarded in 2008. Pittsburgh–Syracuse football rivalry – first played in 1916. South's Oldest Rivalry (Virginia vs. North Carolina) – the ACC's and the South's oldest rivalry, first played in 1892. Textile Bowl (Clemson vs. NC State) – First played in 1899. Victory Bell (Duke–North Carolina) (North Carolina vs. Duke) – first played in 1888, the Victory Bell trophy was first awarded 1948.
- Non-conference
Auburn–Clemson football rivalry – first played in 1899. Auburn–Georgia Tech football rivalry – first played in 1892. Backyard Brawl (Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia) – first played in 1895. Battle of Bristol (Tennessee vs. Virginia Tech) – first played in 1897, currently holds the record for most attended football game 156,990 in attendance at Bristol Motor Speedway. September 10, 2016 Beltway Brawl (Maryland vs. Virginia) – first played in 1919. Boston College–Holy Cross football rivalry – first played in 1896. Boston College–UMass football rivalry – first played in 1899. Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate (Georgia Tech vs. Georgia) – first played in 1893. Clemson–Georgia football rivalry – first played in 1897. Clemson–South Carolina rivalry – first played in 1896. Florida–Florida State football rivalry – first played in 1958. Florida–Miami football rivalry – first played in 1938. Governor's Cup (Louisville vs. Kentucky) – first played in 1912, but the modern football rivalry did not begin until 1994. The 1994 meeting was the first between the teams in 70 years. Holy War (Boston College vs. Notre Dame) – first played in 1975. Miami–Nebraska football rivalry – first played in 1951, four national titles have been decided from bowl games between these teams. Penn State–Pittsburgh football rivalry – first played in 1893. Penn State–Syracuse football rivalry – first played in 1922. Syracuse–West Virginia football rivalry – first played in 1945. Virginia Tech–West Virginia football rivalry – first played in 1912.