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Rivalries are what make college sports fun. Year-long bragging rights hang in the balance each season. To the victors go the spoils. The losing fanbases are open to 365-day ridicule.
There are many things that determine a great rivalry matchup. History between schools is important, some of which dates back to their inceptions.
Tradition is key, too. Many of these contests include trophies exchanged between universities based on game result.
Overall competitiveness in the series certainly plays a role, as do number of meetings, conference affiliations, and national relevance. Maybe the most important factor in a strong rivalry, though, is proximity.
12 college football rivals closest in distance.
Location is key in building a strong rivalry. States, and in some cases cities, are divided by college football fandom. School affiliations can split friendships, and even families, at least for one day of the year.
We’ve identified 12 of the nation’s closest rivals in terms of proximity. Most are located within 50 miles of one another, making for a short trip from campus to campus.
We’ll list the rivalries in order from furthest to closest, starting with one featuring an awesome tradition.
Colorado State-Wyoming (65 miles)
Laramie, WY and Fort Collins, CO are separated by about an hour drive. These two schools prefer to hike.
Before each meeting, the “Bronze Boot Run” takes place. ROTC members from both sides run the game ball across state lines from stadium to stadium.
Not many rivals are close enough to run to and from. There are also few to have met as many times as the Rams and Cowboys. The sides have played 116 times dating back to 1900, with Colorado State holding a slight 59-52-5 lead.
Cal-Stanford (49 miles)
From here, we’ll list 11 rivals located less than 50 miles apart. That segment starts with one of the most well-known rivalries in college football.
Cal and Stanford battle annually in The Big Game. To this point, they’ve faced off nearly 130 times dating back to 1892.
Stanford owns the all-time series lead, but it’s Cal that has the rivalry’s biggest moment. In 1982, the Bears threw a series of laterals that resulted in a game-winning score as the Cardinal band entered the playing field. “The Play” is one of the sport’s most iconic moments.
Oregon-Oregon State (48 miles)
The Ducks and Beavers are another West Coast rivalry separated by less than 50 miles. Previously, they’d played annually as PAC 12 rivals. Now, they’ve parted ways in terms of conference affiliation.
The Civil War, as it was once best known, has been played 129 times. Oregon holds a strong 70-49-10 overall series lead.
The rivalry also features one of college football’s best trophies, the Platypus Trophy, which combines features of both the Beavers and Ducks.
BYU-Utah (45 miles)
We’ll travel a little further east to the state of Utah for the next rivalry battle. The University of Utah and BYU are separated by just 45 miles.
Now conference rivals, the matchup means more than ever. Both are Big 12 members, making the game not only important in terms of bragging rights, but also for league standings.
There have been either 97 or 103 Holy War meetings depending on who you ask. Utah holds a commanding lead in both cases.
SMU-TCU (45 miles)
Not much is bigger in the state of Texas than football. These two Dallas-area schools are in the center of it all.
TCU and SMU are separated by about 45 miles. They’ve met 104 times to battle it out for the Iron Skillet Trophy.
Unfortunately, the annual series will come to an end after 2025 due to conference affiliations. For now, the Horned Frogs boast a 54-43-7 overall series lead.
Cincinnati-Miami (OH) (35 miles)
This is the oldest non-conference rivalry in all of college football, dating back to 1888. Miami and Cincinnati have played 128 times for rights to the Victory Bell.
The series is nearly dead even, with the Bearcats holding a slight 61-60-7 advantage. They had to win 17 of the last 18, however, in order to claim that lead.
Just 35 miles separate the schools, which also share great history (and hatred) outside of football. Former Cincinnati president William Holmes McGuffey, who’d previously worked at Miami, once urged parents not to send their children to UM where they’d be “more likely they would be made into Drunkards and Gamblers than good Scholars.”
UNC-NC State (27 miles)
These two closely residing rivals play annually on Thanksgiving weekend. They’ve met 114 times dating back to 1894. The Tar Heels own the all-time lead at 68-40-6, though the Wolfpack has won four straight.
The schools are separated by less than 30 miles. As a result, the area is divided.
Those emotions showed in the most recent meeting as an on-field skirmish erupted after an NC State win in Chapel Hill. A flag was planted at midfield, leading to a tense moment in Kenan Stadium.
Bowling Green-Toledo (23 miles)
Bowling Green and Toledo compete in the Battle of I-75 in MAC play each year. It’s a tradition that goes all the way back to 1919.
A trophy is exchanged each time a series winning streak ends. That hardware does not have far to travel with less than 25 miles separating the universities.
To this point, the rivalry is dead even. Both sides have won 43 games to go along with four ties.
Akron-Kent State (10 miles)
Another MAC matchup comes in next with Akron’s rivalry against Kent State. The two schools are located 10 miles apart, give or take.
They’ve played 68 times since 1923 with the Zips holding a 37-29-2 advantage. Since 1946, the winner has received the Wagon Wheel Trophy.
The rivalry represents the first of four college football matchups separated by about 10 miles or less.
UNC-Duke (10 miles)
UNC makes the list for a second time, this time for its rivalry with Duke. While this game often has bigger implications on the hardwood, they take their football seriously, too.
The rivals have faced off 109 times since 1891. North Carolina boasts an all-time series advantage of 65-40-4.
Chapel Hill and Durham are located just 10 miles apart, making for an easy trip from campus to campus.
USC-UCLA (10 miles)
Like UNC and Duke, USC and UCLA have campuses located about 10 miles apart. The commutes might look much different given Los Angeles traffic, but the hatred is much the same!
These two schools previously battled as members of the PAC 12. Both recently made the jump to the Big 10, allowing the annual rivalry to continue.
Since 1929, the Trojans hold a 51-34-7 series advantage. The location has played a part in the rivalry banter between students. Pranks have been pulled throughout the years given the close proximity.
Houston-Rice (5 miles)
You will not find a pair of FBS rivals located more closely together than Rice and Houston. The two schools are separated by just five miles.
The football teams have met 47 times in the Bayou Bucket Classic since 1971. Houston holds a sizeable advantage in the series.
They played yearly as Southwest Conference rivals from ’71 to ’95. The annual rivalry was then reignited following a brief hiatus.
From 1999-2013, the schools faced off in Conference USA, and they’ve met in each of the last five seasons as non-conference foes.