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FCS_pwns_FBS
October 31st, 2005, 07:32 PM
Just some background information on the Georgia Southern/Furman rivalry. It's not as old as the Ivy League or Montana/Montana State type rivalries. In fact, its one of the newest rivalries in football. It started with the national championship game in 1985. Georgia Southern was trailing 28-6 as late as a few minutes into the third quarter, and then scored 38 points to win the game 44-42. The final points were scored with less than a minute left on a famous play known as "the catch". The two teams met again in the national championship again in 1988, and it was another classic game. Georgia Southern was close to making a touchdown that would most likely have sealed the win, and GSU turned the ball over to Furman on a fumble. Georgia Southern joined the conference several years after that and started playing yearly games with Furman.

GSU and Furman met again in the semi finals in 2001. Georgia Southern had the lead 17-7 at half time and was receiving the second half kickoff. The ball was fumbled on the return and Furman recovered. What followed was a 17-0 shutout in the second half by Furman. What hurt about this loss was that not only did a team many people were predicting would go 15-0 (and yes, GSU fans are usually pretty conservative about predicting records) fall short of going to the championship, but Georgia Southern was completely undefeated at home in the playoffs and had lost the first one after winning nearly 30 ( I believe) straight.

Other than that, it's a game that always shapes the course of the race for the Socon championship and the national rankings. This and some other things make it a bitter rivalry and one of the biggest, if not the biggest rivalry in IAA.

Go Lehigh TU owl
October 31st, 2005, 07:38 PM
1. Harvard-Yale
2. Lehigh-Lafayette

After that there's a couple good battles for 3rd
Montana-Montana St
Southern-Grambling
App State-WCU

3rd tier
GSU-Furman
Delaware-Villanova
Penn-Princeton
Lehigh-Colgate
Fordham-Columbia
Cornell-Colgate
etc.

OrneryAggie
October 31st, 2005, 07:49 PM
What's the most lopsided rivalry in IAA? UCD leads the series with Sac St 37-16 (70%) after this year's 52nd annual causeway classic.

pete4256
October 31st, 2005, 07:52 PM
It may not have the longest history, but the FU-GSU rivalry is probably the most meaningful (in terms of nat'l implications) and among the most heated at the I-AA level.

It's not a museum piece, but is full of real emotion. That's pretty rare in I-AA.

GrizSweeper
October 31st, 2005, 07:56 PM
UM-MSU is my pick, it actually does have the long history and is also extremely meaningful in terms of nat'l implications as well, it is at least up there even with FU-GSU

galojay
October 31st, 2005, 08:23 PM
i don't know where it ranks, but wku vs eku is big deal. ralph, you've been here and elsewhere, you tell me.

hawkineer
October 31st, 2005, 08:35 PM
College Football's Most Played Rivalry
140 Meetings Since 1884: Lehigh vs. Lafayette 141st Meeting on November 19

Others of Note:
Harvard - Yale
Grambling - Southern
Penn - Princeton

FCS_pwns_FBS
October 31st, 2005, 08:53 PM
Yeah I figured GSU FU wouldn't make the list...doesn't have a fancy nickname, or some trophy object, or 60+ meetings. GSU FU does have a very short (20 years) albeit rich history and has had some of the best games that small college football has ever seen.

Did Montana Montana State Really have 79,000?! Was that played at Washington-Grizzly?

DuckDuckGriz
October 31st, 2005, 08:53 PM
Call me a homer but The Brawl of the Wild (Montana vs Montana State) is, hands down, the most heated rivalry and important in I-AA as far as to the fans.

Tell me another rivalry at any level of college football where the whole state shuts down for the game. Granted MT isn't a huge state population but that's still about a million people and thousands more around the world.

ThreadStopper
October 31st, 2005, 08:56 PM
With the Aggies putting a major dent in the Mustangs playoffs chances for the second year in a row, this is only adding fuel to what has become a great rivalry.

GrizSweeper
October 31st, 2005, 08:57 PM
Yeah I figured GSU FU wouldn't make the list...doesn't have a fancy nickname, or some trophy object, or 60+ meetings. GSU FU does have a very short (20 years) albeit rich history and has had some of the best games that small college football has ever seen.

Did Montana Montana State Really have 79,000?! Was that played at Washington-Grizzly?

where in the world did you get that, upwards of 24000 but thats all we can fit

mainejeff
October 31st, 2005, 08:57 PM
A-10 Top 10 Rivalries......I'm going to divide this between historical and modern (I'm sure that this will be open to debate):

Historical:

1. William & Mary vs. Richmond
2. UMass vs. UNH
3. Maine vs. UNH
4. Maine vs. UMass
5. UMass vs. URI

Modern:

1. Delaware vs. Villanova
2. JMU vs. William & Mary
3. Delaware vs. JMU
4. Delaware vs. UMass
5. UMass vs. UNH

aggie6thman
October 31st, 2005, 09:11 PM
With the Aggies putting a major dent in the Mustangs playoffs chances for the second year in a row, this is only adding fuel to what has become a great rivalry.

I was going to say that this rivalry is going to become very heated in years to come. Like you said, UCD putting a damper on Poly's playoffs hopes as well as playing for the 'Shoe, it will get pretty intense.

Think I saw a sign proclaiming Cal Poly students will work for UCD grads at this years game. Awaiting confirmation of that. ;)

DaGriz
October 31st, 2005, 09:22 PM
Nice to see the GSU/Furman game on TV this week. I'll be watching that for sure, or at least tivo it.

CatFan22
October 31st, 2005, 09:32 PM
Yeah I figured GSU FU wouldn't make the list...doesn't have a fancy nickname, or some trophy object, or 60+ meetings. GSU FU does have a very short (20 years) albeit rich history and has had some of the best games that small college football has ever seen.

Did Montana Montana State Really have 79,000?! Was that played at Washington-Grizzly?

That game was played in Butte, Montana back when it was the biggest city in Montana.

CatFan22
October 31st, 2005, 09:33 PM
I think MSU - UM is the biggest rivalry hands down.

Gil Dobie
October 31st, 2005, 09:33 PM
NDSU's current biggest rival SDSU

91 games played
Bison lead series 49-37-5

Currently the most Lipsided is VS UNC
29 games played
Bison lead the series 21-8

-Stats from Bisonville

ngineer
October 31st, 2005, 09:36 PM
It may not have the longest history, but the FU-GSU rivalry is probably the most meaningful (in terms of nat'l implications) and among the most heated at the I-AA level.

It's not a museum piece, but is full of real emotion. That's pretty rare in I-AA.

You have not idea what emotion is if you haven't witnessed a Lehigh/Lafayette game---and this applies in ANY sport between the two schools. The football game, obviously, is the center piece but it has evolved into the deepest rivalry in the nation, let alone I-AA.

ngineer
October 31st, 2005, 09:41 PM
[QUOTE=ralph]From the 2004 preview mag (page 12-13), article by Sean Brennan:

#1 HARVARD VS.YALE
"The Game"
Games in Series: 120
First Meeting: 1875
Record: Yale leads 64-48-8
Claim to Fame: 3rd most-played rivalry in all of college football and one of the oldest.

#2 LAFAYETTE VS. LEHIGH
[B]Games in Series: 139
First Meeting: 1884
Record: Lafayette leads 72-62-5
Claim to Fame: Most Played Rivalry in all of College Football (139 games)[/B
QUOTE]

Small correction Ralph. This year's game will be the 141st game in the series. Lafayette leads 73-62-5

TxState_GO_CATS!
October 31st, 2005, 09:56 PM
Southland's got some great rivalries:

Top:
NWSt and SFA.
SFA and SHSU.


Others:
TxSt. and Nicholls St.
TxSt. and SHSU
Nicholls St. and NWSt.

**SELA and Texas State, though having only played three times, are starting up quite a rivalry.
**McNeese was dominant for a long time and just beat the snot out of everybody, therefore I don't think they have a real rival in our conference (IMO).

colgate13
October 31st, 2005, 10:08 PM
Small correction Ralph. This year's game will be the 141st game in the series. Lafayette leads 73-62-5

No mistake. That was taken from last year's (2004s) mag.

And yes, Lehigh/Lafayette is hands down #1 in my book. Huge rivalry from schools right next to each other.

barechestcat
October 31st, 2005, 10:33 PM
There may be some rivalries who effect more people, but there is not a single rivalry who effects a state more.

It's not a stretch when an earlier poster said that the entire state basically shuts down for the afternoon.
This rivalry has the ability to cut families in half (I have relatives with the following license plate: gcraitzs - let me know if you aren't able to figure it out)

There are thousands of people who go to satellite parties for this event every year nationwide. The last number I heard was somewhere in the population of 400 registered parties.

JMU Duke Dog
October 31st, 2005, 10:59 PM
Well I know both teams are disappointed in recent showings by their teams especially after the success each team had in 2004; however, this is still an in-state rivalry game so both teams should be ready to go as W&M still has a chance to make the playoffs and JMU has a chance to eliminate W&M from playoff contention. The winner will get to have bragging rights for an entire year so this game will still be big for those families and friends divided between these two excellent Virginia institutions of higher learning. Please share your thoughts and comments about this upcoming weekend's game in Williamsburg on this thread.

Here is some information on the JMU-W&M series:
http://www.jmusports.com/Team/Stats/2/Notes.pdf

JMU has played William & Mary more often than any other team (27 times). The teams first met in Williamsburg in 1978 and played there again in 1979. They didn’t meet in 1980 but have played every season since, alternating home fields (except currently because of the Tribe hosting the teams’ NCAA Division I-AA semifinal game last season).

William & Mary leads the series 14-13, but JMU has a 7-5 advantage in games in Harrisonburg. William & Mary leads 9-6 in meetings on its field, but JMU has won the last two Williamsburg meetings – 24-17 in 2003 and 48-34 a year ago in post-season play. William & Mary also won a series road game last season, taking a 27-24 decision in Harrisonburg.

The Dukes were competing at the Division III level during the teams’ first meeting in 1978, and JMU’s board of visitors voted in Williamsburg that day to begin the process of moving JMU to a scholarship-level football program. The Dukes played in Division II in 1979 and moved to Division I-AA in 1980.
JMU coach Mickey Matthews has a 5-2 record against the Tribe and is 3-1 in Williamsburg.

grizband
October 31st, 2005, 11:41 PM
I think Um/MSU is hands down the most heated rivalry game in all of I-AA football. if you want proof, look at the over 40 sattelite parties across the country, in cities like Boston, New York, Seattle, Portland, Denver, and Las vegas. Check out the message boards, where the mere mention of the other teams practically ensites a riot. Even when one of the teams is horrible, it is still the biggest game of the seasonfor both teams (anyone who says otherwise is lying, the only one which might be bigger is the national championship). Familes, cities, friends are divided by this rivalry, which does consume the entire state. To me, what really makes this rivarly as big as it it, is the fact that it is in Montana. A state which has less than one million people, and its miles away from most major media centers can still attract this much national attention. Most of the other big rivalries are in the east coast, the south, or the midwest, all regions of millions of people.

HIUguy08
November 1st, 2005, 12:08 AM
I think that the biggest rivarly in I-AA is Florida A&M Univ. vs. Bethune-Cookman College. From the band to the football team its big, its called the Florida Classic.

JALMOND
November 1st, 2005, 01:37 AM
That game was played in Butte, Montana back when it was the biggest city in Montana.

My grandma (UM class 1930) use to say the reason why the game was played in Butte (back then known simply as "The Butte Game") was because each school did not want to risk the visitors coming in and tearing up the home team's campus.

My opinion was that it was held in Butte because back then Butte was close to halfway between Bozeman and Missoula (by train) and that Butte was the largest city at the time.

CatFan22
November 1st, 2005, 02:13 AM
I think Um/MSU is hands down the most heated rivalry game in all of I-AA football. if you want proof, look at the over 40 sattelite parties across the country, in cities like Boston, New York, Seattle, Portland, Denver, and Las vegas. Check out the message boards, where the mere mention of the other teams practically ensites a riot. Even when one of the teams is horrible, it is still the biggest game of the seasonfor both teams (anyone who says otherwise is lying, the only one which might be bigger is the national championship). Familes, cities, friends are divided by this rivalry, which does consume the entire state. To me, what really makes this rivarly as big as it it, is the fact that it is in Montana. A state which has less than one million people, and its miles away from most major media centers can still attract this much national attention. Most of the other big rivalries are in the east coast, the south, or the midwest, all regions of millions of people.

:beerchug: Good post.

AmsterBison
November 1st, 2005, 07:01 AM
NDSU v UND (hint: ND=North Dakota) is the biggest DI-AA rivalry that hasn't occurred yet - of course, there aren't a lot of competitors for that distiniction :)

It looks like after five years of saying the "D" in "DI" stands for "The Devil", the University of North Dakota Fighting Shut-up-We're-Trying-to-Honor-You Sioux are ready to turn another sorry page in their catalog of shame and are now on Chapter 11 entitled, "Wherein We Go DI and Get Spanked Like Diaper-Clad Lawyers at a Naughty Costume Party."

Anyway, the first game was played in 1894 and we've managed to play 110 times even though the series has been interrupted twice by wars and twice by UND flouncing off to have a hissy fit, followed by a good long sulk, and then a plaintive, "I know I've been bad but pleeeeease take me back."

Cocky
November 1st, 2005, 07:45 AM
Tell me another rivalry at any level of college football where the whole state shuts down for the game. Granted MT isn't a huge state population but that's still about a million people and thousands more around the world.

It's not I-AA but the state of Alabama doesn't shutdown for the day but damn near the whole year for Auburn v Alabama-Tuscaloosa. If there is a more crazied rivalry in the whole I don't want to be near the game (I don't go to the AU v UAT game either).

Cocky
November 1st, 2005, 07:56 AM
Our biggest rival Troy moved to I-A ending our series but it was a good rivalry. JSU needs a good rival game. Hopefully we are building some new ones with Samford, EKU, and Chattanooga.

The best rival games in I-AA close by are:
Alabama A&M v Alabama State-draws close to 70,000 per year know as the Magic City Classic.
JSU v Samford-One sided toward JSU but it's the rich guys against the poor guys.

National:
Harvard v Yale-A game know by most everyone I-A,I-AA, II, or III.
Montana v MSU-Important to the playoffs, State game, and history
WKU v EKU-Same as above
McNeese v Northwestern State-Ditto plus some great food
JMU v William & Mary- Classic state game
FU v GSU- New but very important

I'm sure there are other great ones I'm not aware of but maybe before I died I will lose my ignorance.

UNHWildCats
November 1st, 2005, 08:24 AM
[QUOTE=IAA_pwns_IA]Just some background information on the Georgia Southern/Furman rivalry. It's not as old as the Ivy League or Montana/Montana State type rivalries. In fact, its one of the newest rivalries in football. QUOTE]

The series between these two long-time rivals stands at 39-25-3 in favor of Massachusetts. The series is one of the oldest in college football and began back in 1897. UMass has gone 20-11-1 vs. the Wildcats in Amherst, Mass.. The home team has lost the last two meetings, including this year's contest in Amherst by a 34-28 marginin in favor of the Cats.

The MVP of the game is annually awarded the Bill Knight Trophy, which is named after UNH's former Sports Information Director. Wildcat receiver David Ball won the award this year.

OL FU
November 1st, 2005, 08:39 AM
Back in the off season we discussed this and I was very adamant in my position that FU and GSU was the most important rivalry because of its national impact. I have changed my mind. There are the oldest rivalries, best attended rivalries, rivalries with the most media attention, etc. The most important rivalry is generally the one your team plays.

I would be curious to hear from the ASU fans if they think their bigest rival is Western or GSU.

SoCon48
November 1st, 2005, 09:32 AM
Back in the off season we discussed this and I was very adamant in my position that FU and GSU was the most important rivalry because of its national impact. I have changed my mind. There are the oldest rivalries, best attended rivalries, rivalries with the most media attention, etc. The most important rivalry is generally the one your team plays.

I would be curious to hear from the ASU fans if they think their bigest rival is Western or GSU.

I for one have never considered GSU a true rivalry. It just happens that every year, you have to go through Statesboro to have a shot at winning the SoCon. Neither school sends a ton of fans to one another's stadium.

WCU is our historic rivalry, even though it has been one-sided in the Moore era. It isn't hate-filled as you'll see WCU and ASU fans attending games and sitting together at both venues. But I would say a coach's contract depends a lot on the outcome.

For decades, Lenoir-Rhyne was the true hate-filled rivalry. Then when L-R stayed put, it ceased. The next to last time ASU and L-R played, their AD said at half-time of a lop-sided game, "it's about time we stopped playing ASU." The L-R games were fun because the two teams were only an hour away and the two schools shared the same geographic alumni base.

putter
November 1st, 2005, 11:01 AM
I go for Griz/Cat but I would think that McNeese/NW State would be big for our Louisiana brothers/sisters.

mlbowl
November 1st, 2005, 11:20 AM
The most important rivalry is generally the one your team plays.




:nod:

ChickenMan
November 1st, 2005, 11:22 AM
Obviously it's... Delaware/Villanova... :D

Proud Griz Man
November 1st, 2005, 11:27 AM
Delaware & Delaware State? :D

McNeese75
November 1st, 2005, 11:30 AM
I go for Griz/Cat but I would think that McNeese/NW State would be big for our Louisiana brothers/sisters.

It is for Cowboy fans but Demon fans are more into the SFA rivalry because of the wooden indian trophy.

ChickenMan
November 1st, 2005, 11:31 AM
Delaware & Delaware State? :D


:nono:

SoCon48
November 1st, 2005, 11:37 AM
It is for Cowboy fans but Demon fans are more into the SFA rivalry because of the wooden indian trophy.


Uh oh. The politically correct guys with the NCAA will soon put the skids on the Indian trophy.

GrizFoo
November 1st, 2005, 12:08 PM
Other than UM/MSU, I really like the Furman/GSU. I also like McNeese/GSU, though I'm not sure how many times they've played or if it would be considered a top rivalry.

LUHawker
November 1st, 2005, 12:15 PM
Obviously it's... Delaware/Villanova... :D

Too bad we don't have an annual Lehigh/Delaware game, otherwise I think this would become (or return to, I don't know) the biggest rivalry game for UD. This is not intended to open the door as to why we don't have an annual game, since enough finger-pointing has gone around already on this board and others on this topic, just that it is too bad it doesn't happen. Two large, passionate fan bases rooting for two annually competitive teams sounds like the right mix for a rivalry to me.

ChickenMan
November 1st, 2005, 12:26 PM
Too bad we don't have an annual Lehigh/Delaware game, otherwise I think this would become (or return to, I don't know) the biggest rivalry game for UD. This is not intended to open the door as to why we don't have an annual game, since enough finger-pointing has gone around already on this board and others on this topic, just that it is too bad it doesn't happen. Two large, passionate fan bases rooting for two annually competitive teams sounds like the right mix for a rivalry to me.

I agree that LU/UD would be a serious rivalry game if the teams played each year.

ngineer
November 1st, 2005, 12:45 PM
No mistake. That was taken from last year's (2004s) mag.
And yes, Lehigh/Lafayette is hands down #1 in my book. Huge rivalry from schools right next to each other.

Well, no sense carrying the error forward. Lehigh's media guide has Lehigh's all-time record against each opponent, including the score of each game against each opponent. At page 62 is the Lafayette record, "Lafayette leads, 73-62-5), which makes this year's get-together #141. Where's the Pard94? I'm sure he'll back me up--after all I just reported those ba$tards one more win :D

GannonFan
November 1st, 2005, 01:01 PM
Too bad we don't have an annual Lehigh/Delaware game, otherwise I think this would become (or return to, I don't know) the biggest rivalry game for UD. This is not intended to open the door as to why we don't have an annual game, since enough finger-pointing has gone around already on this board and others on this topic, just that it is too bad it doesn't happen. Two large, passionate fan bases rooting for two annually competitive teams sounds like the right mix for a rivalry to me.

It never was the biggest for UD, but that wasn't a knock on Lehigh - UD's two biggest rivals were Temple and nova because back then they were DI schools and UD was just DII. Temple eventually got tired of losing to UD since they figured they could lose just as much to DIA teams. nova is and will be for a long time UD's main rivalry game - there's just too much history there from the time before nova cut their football program and Talley has done his part to help make sure the IAA memories of the rivalry keep stoking the fire. If we played Lehigh every year it could become pretty big, but it won't be as nasty as the nova rivalry - we actually like Lehigh to a point, where there is no liking whatsoever for nova.

WhereDoITypeMyUsername?
November 1st, 2005, 01:10 PM
That Lehigh/Lafayette deal sounds hot, and it's hard to match the je ne sais quois of the Ivy or Bayou Classic, but I don't know if there's as much hate in any of those as there is in the Brawl of the Wild.

There's seriously a movement afoot this year to get Griz fans to stay in a town about 20 miles outside of Bozeman so that no Missoula consumer $ goes to any Cat fan in MSU's hometown.

Yeah, people are honestly trying to talk their fellow Griz fans into travelling to a town to overnight for the game, and stay in a town that would require travel to get to the game.

I don't know, but it seems overheated and irrational to me. Maybe I don't get the full level of heat out east; or maybe it's just that Patriot and Ivy graduates aren't as dumb as us Big Sky alums.

HensRock
November 1st, 2005, 01:13 PM
Well, no sense carrying the error forward. Lehigh's media guide has Lehigh's all-time record against each opponent, including the score of each game against each opponent. At page 62 is the Lafayette record, "Lafayette leads, 73-62-5), which makes this year's get-together #141. Where's the Pard94? I'm sure he'll back me up--after all I just reported those ba$tards one more win :D


Hello? McFly?
The stats were from the 2004 PREview Magazine.
Think about it!

89Hen
November 1st, 2005, 01:35 PM
It never was the biggest for UD, but that wasn't a knock on Lehigh - UD's two biggest rivals were Temple...
They were always a big game for us, but I don't know if I'd call them a 'rival'. To me, a rival means both sides think of it as a big game and both are in to it. I never got that impression from Temple fans. Matter of fact, I'm not sure Temple even had/has fans.

JohnG
November 1st, 2005, 01:51 PM
Go ahead and call me a homer but I've got to say the biggest rivalry is the one that has been played more then any other in college football history and that is obviously the rivalry between Lehigh University and Lafayette College.

grizband
November 1st, 2005, 01:58 PM
Go ahead and call me a homer but I've got to say the biggest rivalry is the one that has been played more then any other in college football history and that is obviously the rivalry between Lehigh University and Lafayette College.
Homer (sorry I couldn't resist)

wapiti
November 1st, 2005, 03:30 PM
Cat-griz get's my vote as biggest rivalry.

Many fans on both sides would rather go 1 and 9 and the one victory was against the rival then to go 9 and 1 and the one loss to the rival. :nod:

ASU Kep
November 1st, 2005, 03:33 PM
Myself personally...I know everybody won't agree with me, but ASU/GSU. It's my biggest game of the year, forget WCU/Furman. It was my freshman year when we tore down those goalposts and...accidentaly :rolleyes: ...smashed them through your bus. In addition of course to stomping on your pizzas. Thats a whole lotta hate for a regular season game, eh? Too bad the last two havn't been close. I've posted on this already so I won't get back into it, but ASU + GSU SHOULD BE EACHOTHER'S BIGGEST RIVAL. In the SOCON, we're the only schools like eachother, we have a perfectly even 9-9-1 record, we've ruined eachothers playoff chances/beat an "unstoppable" ASU/GSU team, and just all around don't like eachother. Hillbillies > Rednecks.

ASU Kep
November 1st, 2005, 03:35 PM
ASU/GSU is definitely the biggest rivalry between two schools that historically don't think of the other as their prime rival... ;)

TypicalTribe
November 1st, 2005, 03:37 PM
Cat-griz get's my vote as biggest rivalry.

Many fans on both sides would rather go 1 and 9 and the one victory was against the rival then to go 9 and 1 and the one loss to the rival. :nod:

I don't buy this for a second, especially from Montana fans who are used to going to the playoffs every year.

SeattleGriz
November 1st, 2005, 03:43 PM
I don't buy this for a second, especially from Montana fans who are used to going to the playoffs every year.

Football is not the only rivalry. A whole crappy basketball season can be salvaged with a win over MSU

grizbeer
November 1st, 2005, 03:50 PM
Here is a link http://www.missoulian.com/specials/UM-MSU100/ to a special the Missoulian did back in 2000 for the 100th meeting of the teams. Although a little dated now, it still gives a great perspective on the rivalry, including recaps of all game sup to that point.

Here is one of my favorite parts:

Fistfights, alcohol and profanity have always gone hand in hand with the Montana-Montana State football rivalry. In many years, they've been as much a part of the game as the game itself.

Way back in 1958, University of Montana students sprayed Cat fans with a fire hose to keep them from tearing down the goal posts at old Dornblaser Field. Punches were thrown, but no serious injuries were reported.

TypicalTribe
November 1st, 2005, 04:04 PM
Football is not the only rivalry. A whole crappy basketball season can be salvaged with a win over MSU

That's fine, but I was replying to the post that said both team's fans would rather go 1-9 but beat the other than go 9-1 and lose.

VictorG
November 1st, 2005, 04:06 PM
Cat-griz get's my vote as biggest rivalry.

Many fans on both sides would rather go 1 and 9 and the one victory was against the rival then to go 9 and 1 and the one loss to the rival. :nod:


This a perfect example of the rivalry. This Cat fan makes a simple statement that surprisingly has some intelligence behind it (surprising for a cat fan) but even then he neglected the truth which is that generations Griz fans don't know what being 1 - 9 IS!!!! Only cat fans do!!! :p :p :D


Just joking with ya wapiti, trying to show people who have no idea what it's like..what it is like! Every opportunity becomes a "dig"!!!!! Every name gets called, every pet gets kicked! God bless the mixed marriages up here. I don't know how they survive! (Unlike most places when someone says mixed marriage in Montana, it usually means Cat and Griz, not other things!)

Eagles_Cliff
November 1st, 2005, 04:32 PM
Myself personally...I know everybody won't agree with me, but ASU/GSU.....just all around don't like eachother. Hillbillies > Rednecks.



ITS GREAT TO HATE APP STATE!!!!!


;) :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: ;)

catbob
November 1st, 2005, 05:05 PM
It's really hard to judge other rivalries without ever having been to any other ones (except Arizona/Arizona State), but I don't see how IAA could get any bigger than Cat/Griz, especially the past few years meant a lot for the Cats and playoff berths.

First off, any rivalry that doesn't sell out every single one of the games is crossed off. I bet we could get attendance to at least 35,000 if we had the means.

The reason has been mentioned before - we have no other sports in Montana. This is the super bowl of Montana. Hell, I'd much rather go to Cat/Griz or even watch Cat/Griz than go to or watch the super bowl.

You should've heard the uproar in Bozeman when a local McDonalds started printing Griz schedules/Logos on their cups.

If your team loses, you can't say "well, hope my other in-state team wins", pro, college, or whatever. If the Cats lose, your whole year just went down the tube.

I wish they would televise this game on a national scale just one year. Show everyone around the nation how big this game is.

grizband
November 1st, 2005, 05:16 PM
Football is not the only rivalry. A whole crappy basketball season can be salvaged with a win over MSU
I remember Kennedy's last season, when the Griz were awful. We beat the Cats, and you would think we made the NCAA tournament. This is a rivalry that transcends one sport, hell it transcends sport, it encompasses two universities, in everything they do.

JALMOND
November 1st, 2005, 05:18 PM
This a perfect example of the rivalry. This Cat fan makes a simple statement that surprisingly has some intelligence behind it (surprising for a cat fan) but even then he neglected the truth which is that generations Griz fans don't know what being 1 - 9 IS!!!! Only cat fans do!!! :p :p :D


Just joking with ya wapiti, trying to show people who have no idea what it's like..what it is like! Every opportunity becomes a "dig"!!!!! Every name gets called, every pet gets kicked! God bless the mixed marriages up here. I don't know how they survive! (Unlike most places when someone says mixed marriage in Montana, it usually means Cat and Griz, not other things!)

I think the best "dig" I heard regarding Cat/Griz was back when Montana was creating the powerhouse with Coach Read and Montana State was going through the nightmare Salmuleson years. Most people were clamoring for a united front from the state of Montana fans to cheer on the Grizzlies as they went through the playoffs. The Grizzlies ended up losing either in the championship game or the semis (I can't remember which), and the Grizzly fans blamed the Cat fans for "not knowing how to cheer on a winner". I still get a chuckle to this day about that.

Maybe a new rivalry has been born this year with Coastal and App State...

hawkineer
November 1st, 2005, 05:20 PM
I think Um/MSU is hands down the most heated rivalry game in all of I-AA football. if you want proof, look at the over 40 sattelite parties across the country, in cities like Boston, New York, Seattle, Portland, Denver, and Las vegas. Most of the other big rivalries are in the east coast, the south, or the midwest, all regions of millions of people.
You mean something like this! :p :p
http://www3.lehigh.edu/alumni/events/2005telecasts.asp

grizband
November 1st, 2005, 05:26 PM
You mean something like this! :p :p
http://www3.lehigh.edu/alumni/events/2005telecasts.asp
No... something like this. :cool:
http://www.umontanaalumni.org/index.asp/fuseaction/CMS.main/c/AAAFD132-8E2D-47C6-A57A-D9F2F9136781

SoCon48
November 1st, 2005, 05:53 PM
I think the best "dig" I heard regarding Cat/Griz was back when Montana was creating the powerhouse with Coach Read and Montana State was going through the nightmare Salmuleson years. Most people were clamoring for a united front from the state of Montana fans to cheer on the Grizzlies as they went through the playoffs. The Grizzlies ended up losing either in the championship game or the semis (I can't remember which), and the Grizzly fans blamed the Cat fans for "not knowing how to cheer on a winner". I still get a chuckle to this day about that.

Maybe a new rivalry has been born this year with Coastal and App State...

ASU has four or five too many rivalries already.

CrunchGriz
November 1st, 2005, 07:11 PM
No... something like this. :cool:
http://www.umontanaalumni.org/index.asp/fuseaction/CMS.main/c/AAAFD132-8E2D-47C6-A57A-D9F2F9136781

For those of you scoring at home (and I have no idea why any of you would be...), that's:

1. 50 scheduled satellite alumni parties for the Lehigh/Lafayette game; and

2. 66 scheduled satellite alumni parties for the Montana/Montana State game.

(Yeah, I actually counted the number of parties in both lists...we're not competitive here or anything, are we?)

What this all means is anyone's guess. You could argue that both of these rivalries have such far-flung support because both have had an alumni diaspora...nah, they're just long-lasting, bitter rivalries, that's it! That's my theory, and I'm stickin' to it.

hawkineer
November 1st, 2005, 07:16 PM
(Yeah, I actually counted the number of parties in both lists...we're not competitive here or anything, are we?)

Two obvious conclusions:
WE ARE VERY COMPETITIVE HERE! :D
Things are really slow in Oregon. ;)

Dallas Demon
November 1st, 2005, 10:51 PM
It is for Cowboy fans but Demon fans are more into the SFA rivalry because of the wooden indian trophy.

Not necessarily. The McNeese vs. Northwestern rivalry is huge and always has been. I guess it depends on who you talk to. Our natural rivalry, one that we absolutely can't stand, is Louisiana Tech just as Louisiana Lafayette (USL) is yours.

Griz Grunt
November 1st, 2005, 11:07 PM
It may not have the longest history, but the FU-GSU rivalry is probably the most meaningful (in terms of nat'l implications) and among the most heated at the I-AA level.

It's not a museum piece, but is full of real emotion. That's pretty rare in I-AA.

Still to early to say, let's give it, say, 80 years.;)

grizband
November 2nd, 2005, 12:33 AM
What still amazes me about this UM/MSU rivalry, is that so many people through out the entire country care about something that happens in Montana. The other 364 days of the year, most people don't give a damn what goes on in Montana, and then this game is played and people all over pay attention.

Down with the Foe!
November 2nd, 2005, 07:23 AM
Call me a homer but The Brawl of the Wild (Montana vs Montana State) is, hands down, the most heated rivalry and important in I-AA as far as to the fans.

Tell me another rivalry at any level of college football where the whole state shuts down for the game. Granted MT isn't a huge state population but that's still about a million people and thousands more around the world.

It is the only game (the only thing period) that pulls me off the Mountain from a long time hunting trip, and down to the truck to listen to the game on a scratchy AM radio station.... I do 10 minute updates via 2 way radios and update my buddies on the score.


Hunting in Montana is like Church in Vatican city. It's just part of it, and so is the Brawl of the Wild.


I'd say the Griz-Cat game is a pretty big deal.


Go Griz

blackfordpu
November 2nd, 2005, 11:40 AM
The Battle of the Piney Woods was played for the 80th time this season. This is usually a hard fought close game between the Kats and lumberjacks. This season was an exception of course. It is a very heated rivelry too. Anyone remember the brawl that happened last season when the Kats pulled off the win at SFA?

Proud Griz Man
November 2nd, 2005, 03:05 PM
I think the best "dig" I heard regarding Cat/Griz was back when Montana was creating the powerhouse with Coach Read and Montana State was going through the nightmare Salmuleson years. Most people were clamoring for a united front from the state of Montana fans to cheer on the Grizzlies as they went through the playoffs. The Grizzlies ended up losing either in the championship game or the semis (I can't remember which), and the Grizzly fans blamed the Cat fans for "not knowing how to cheer on a winner". I still get a chuckle to this day about that.

Maybe a new rivalry has been born this year with Coastal and App State...

I have no idea what you are talking about Jalmond. Griz fans blamed the loss on Bobcat fans because they did not know how to cheer for a winner?

Sounds fictional. UM's playoff losses to GSU in 1989, to Delaware in 1993, and YSU in 1994 had nothing to do with any Bobcat fans.

GOKATS
November 2nd, 2005, 04:16 PM
I wish they would televise this game on a national scale just one year. Show everyone around the nation how big this game is.

The game is on Altitude this year which will expand the coverage area.

catbob
November 2nd, 2005, 05:46 PM
Ticket Prices for Cat/Griz (http://tickets.listings.ebay.com/_W0QQa1ZQ2d24QQa10ZQ2d24QQa2ZQ2d24QQa3ZQ2d24QQa40Z 1003QQa9Z1061QQalistZa40Q2ca9Q2ca10Q2ca1Q2ca2Q2ca3 Q2ca63Q2ca3801Q2ca10399Q2ca10400QQfromZr4QQfsooZ1Q QfsopZ1QQgcsZ1QQpfidZ1QQrcZ1QQrctrackZ1QQsacatZQ2d 100QQsocmdZListingItemListQQssPageNameZRC2001)

ASU Kep
November 2nd, 2005, 05:56 PM
ASU has four or five too many rivalries already.

I don't know, I thoroughly enjoy being hated by damn near EVERYBODY. GSU, Furman, WCU, (Eastern Kentucky? A few more games, and it's on), I'd be glad to add CCU to the list. I think it'd be a pretty lobsided rivalry, though...which is fine with me.

:anim_chai . I love this chainsaw dude.

JALMOND
November 2nd, 2005, 06:13 PM
I have no idea what you are talking about Jalmond. Griz fans blamed the loss on Bobcat fans because they did not know how to cheer for a winner?

Sounds fictional. UM's playoff losses to GSU in 1989, to Delaware in 1993, and YSU in 1994 had nothing to do with any Bobcat fans.

Barroom talk between my Cat friends and Griz friends. Usual talk about that year's Cat-Griz game turned to Montana's run through the playoffs. My Cat friends were giving the Griz friends grief about losing in the playoffs and one of my Griz friends said the reason the Griz lost was because of the Cat fans jumping on the bandwagon cheering the Griz through the playoffs (drunken thinking sometimes distorts actual thinking). His actual words were "Cat fans do not know how to cheer on a winner".

A couple years ago, when the Cats started doing well, I reminded him of this and his response was "well, times have changed."

A sidenote to all this; I would highly recommend anyone to attend a Montana/Montana State game, even those not affiliated with any school like myself. Whether in Bozeman or Missoula, the full gameday is an awesome experience. By far the best rivalry (I-A or I-AA) in the Northwest, if not the whole country.

wapiti
November 8th, 2005, 03:49 PM
This a perfect example of the rivalry. This Cat fan makes a simple statement that surprisingly has some intelligence behind it (surprising for a cat fan) but even then he neglected the truth which is that generations Griz fans don't know what being 1 - 9 IS!!!! Only cat fans do!!! :p :p :D


Just joking with ya wapiti, trying to show people who have no idea what it's like..what it is like! Every opportunity becomes a "dig"!!!!! Every name gets called, every pet gets kicked! God bless the mixed marriages up here. I don't know how they survive! (Unlike most places when someone says mixed marriage in Montana, it usually means Cat and Griz, not other things!)

Ha Ha.
How many NC's have the griz won? 2
How many NC's have the Cats won? 3

DuckDuckGriz
November 8th, 2005, 03:49 PM
Ha Ha.
How many NC's have the griz won? 2
How many NC's have the Cats won? 3

DIIs don't count on the I-AA board.

By the way 1984 was a long time ago :nod:

GAD
November 8th, 2005, 06:09 PM
The Bayou Classic IMHO this game is envyed by many outside the Big 6 I-A conferences it is the ONLY I-AA game on a major TV network. The Friday night before the game the battle of the bands alone draws 35K. When the Superdome was damaged as a result of hurricane Katrina cities all over the country called asking the bring the game to there city (Orlando, FL Atlanta,GA
Birmingham,AL Jackson,MS Houston,TX even Los Angles, CA) any and everything is sacraficed for this game even a shot at a natioal title.

Grizo406
November 8th, 2005, 06:14 PM
A little western bias here...Griz/Cat, no question.

grizband
November 8th, 2005, 06:39 PM
The Bayou Classic IMHO this game is envyed by many outside the Big 6 I-A conferences it is the ONLY I-AA game on a major TV network. The Friday night before the game the battle of the bands alone draws 35K. When the Superdome was damaged as a result of hurricane Katrina cities all over the country called asking the bring the game to there city (Orlando, FL Atlanta,GA
Birmingham,AL Jackson,MS Houston,TX even Los Angles, CA) any and everything is sacraficed for this game even a shot at a natioal title.
You know Gad, I would love to see the battle of the bands almost as much as the game, probably more. I was in a marching band in college, but those HBCU's do it right when it comes to their bands.

SUjagTILLiDIE
November 9th, 2005, 12:10 AM
http://statefarmbayouclassic.com/index.shtml

There are almost no rooms available in Houston on this weekend. :D

The History of the Bayou Classic

Unquestionably the most colorful manifestation in the annals of Black College Football, the annual gridiron clash between Louisiana rivals Southern and Grambling State, affectionately known to the world as the State Farm Bayou Classic, has become one of the most anticipated events in the nation.

This event is an exhibition of the high standards of academic achievement deeply embedded in the traditions of the two institutions. The State Farm Bayou Classic is more than just a football game. It is a unique family fellowship that exists within a football game, which has become in its colorful and glorified history, the greatest, most distinguishable sporting event in all of Black America.

The gridiron match-up between Southern University and Grambling State University, two great Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) rivals, represents the best that collegiate sports have to offer: teamwork, tradition, passion and fierce competition.

The first ever Bayou Classic was played in New Orleans' Tulane Stadium in 1974. There were 76,753 fans in attendance to witness the birth of a unique and treasured pastime. Grambling defeated SU in that contest, 21-0. Southern leads the series 16-14, and Southern University posted an eight-game winning streak that ended in 2001 (the longest in the Bayou Classic Series).

With the game's expansion over the years from Tulane Stadium to the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, LA, the State Farm Bayou Classic, including over 200,000 fans who descend upon the city to take part in the festivities, pumps more than $30 million into the New Orleans economy, annually. From the excitement of a sensational football competition, crowd favorite Battle of the Bands, to the gospel brunch, the event seeks to serve each and every one of its patrons, while assisting future graduates of higher education in locating postgraduate work via the State Farm Bayou Classic Super Job Fair.

State Farm enters its tenth year as title sponsor of the Classic, which only serves to reiterate the pleasure, pride and continued growth of Black College Football's most legendary event.





No one can match the attendence.
http://statefarmbayouclassic.com/history_therivalry.shtml

R.A.
November 9th, 2005, 12:40 AM
How can't it be?

inpsite1919
November 9th, 2005, 05:44 AM
The Bayou Classic IMHO this game is envyed by many outside the Big 6 I-A conferences it is the ONLY I-AA game on a major TV network. The Friday night before the game the battle of the bands alone draws 35K. When the Superdome was damaged as a result of hurricane Katrina cities all over the country called asking the bring the game to there city (Orlando, FL Atlanta,GA
Birmingham,AL Jackson,MS Houston,TX even Los Angles, CA) any and everything is sacraficed for this game even a shot at a natioal title.
i agree

AppGuy04
November 9th, 2005, 07:23 AM
I'm not knocking the Bayou, but to me a rivalry has to have playoff implications, for instance, this years GSU/Furman game

Down with the Foe!
November 9th, 2005, 07:51 AM
A little western bias here...Griz/Cat, no question.


BUUUUUU...Yaaaaaaaahhh!



:nod: :bow: :nod:

I've been associated/witness to with several rivalries over the years..... very few truly compare to the Griz/Cat game. (and yes, our bands suck...it's too damn cold to blow on a trumpet,or a clarinet and the blizzards make the Tuba's impossible to carry around (think of a sailboat)


Go Griz....Poor Bobcats.

foghorn
November 9th, 2005, 08:41 AM
It never was the biggest for UD, but that wasn't a knock on Lehigh - UD's two biggest rivals were Temple and nova because back then they were DI schools and UD was just DII. Temple eventually got tired of losing to UD since they figured they could lose just as much to DIA teams. nova is and will be for a long time UD's main rivalry game - there's just too much history there from the time before nova cut their football program and Talley has done his part to help make sure the IAA memories of the rivalry keep stoking the fire. If we played Lehigh every year it could become pretty big, but it won't be as nasty as the nova rivalry - we actually like Lehigh to a point, where there is no liking whatsoever for nova.

GF, I agree that Villanova is UD's biggest rivalry, but I'm not sure if we are theirs, at least to the same extent.
As you're aware, VU's attendance is not good with their fans' excuse being that they don't play any Big-name schools, with the implication being that the A-10 and Div. I-AA are not worthy of them. Don't know where the arrogance comes from, but it's there. Because of this, and VU's apparent apathy towards a UD game, and Div. I-AA in general, my interest in this 'rivalry' is diminishing. JMU would make a nice rivalry, but I have a hard time disliking them, since they are so similar to us in alumni demographics.
Would love to see Lehigh on our schedule every year. As you stated, that could be a pretty big rivalry, even bigger than it once was, IMO. :)

Ivytalk
November 9th, 2005, 09:08 AM
The Bayou Classic IMHO this game is envyed by many outside the Big 6 I-A conferences it is the ONLY I-AA game on a major TV network. The Friday night before the game the battle of the bands alone draws 35K. When the Superdome was damaged as a result of hurricane Katrina cities all over the country called asking the bring the game to there city (Orlando, FL Atlanta,GA
Birmingham,AL Jackson,MS Houston,TX even Los Angles, CA) any and everything is sacraficed for this game even a shot at a natioal title.

I agree. Rivalries have everything to do with tradition and little to do with playoffs. The Bayou Classic exemplifies a true rivalry game. Likewise, if Harvard beats Yale or the other way around, it can save an otherwise dismal season for the winner.

TypicalTribe
November 9th, 2005, 09:44 AM
I'm not knocking the Bayou, but to me a rivalry has to have playoff implications, for instance, this years GSU/Furman game

Now that I don't agree. The best rivalry games are the ones where records are thrown out the window at kickoff. Good season/bad season, playoffs or no playoffs, it's just a battle from start to finish.

The one thing I would ask my Bayou Classic friends is whether or not there is a real dislike between fans of Southern and Grambling, because that anger is what seems to drive the greatest rivalries.

GAD
November 9th, 2005, 11:38 AM
Typical Tribe much like Shellshock said its mostly good natured ribbing its often said "We hate them Thanksgiving weekend we tolerate the rest of the year"

Catsfan
November 10th, 2005, 11:27 AM
GF, I agree that Villanova is UD's biggest rivalry, but I'm not sure if we are theirs, at least to the same extent.
As you're aware, VU's attendance is not good with their fans' excuse being that they don't play any Big-name schools, with the implication being that the A-10 and Div. I-AA are not worthy of them. Don't know where the arrogance comes from, but it's there. Because of this, and VU's apparent apathy towards a UD game, and Div. I-AA in general, my interest in this 'rivalry' is diminishing. JMU would make a nice rivalry, but I have a hard time disliking them, since they are so similar to us in alumni demographics.
Would love to see Lehigh on our schedule every year. As you stated, that could be a pretty big rivalry, even bigger than it once was, IMO. :)

The hardcore Nova football fans are mostly alumni, mostly football alumni, well over 50 years old, having played before they dropped football. I'm not sure where the other fans or the students are, althouth this year's attendance has been pretty good--As has been proven time and again, Philly is just not a college football town, and Villanova is a basketball school. Nevertheless, the real Nova football fans really enjoy the rivalry, and I think it's as big a rivalry as you can have for a single sport.
What's great about the rivalvlry are the games themselves, real battles with comebacks and overtimes, etc. I believe over the last 10 years or so the point totals have ranged form the teens to 50's, but the average margin of victory can't be much more than 3 points. These have been some of the best football games I have seen as a spectator, period. With both teams being down this year, I'm looking forward to another intense, hard fought game.

COLONELSINCE78
November 10th, 2005, 12:30 PM
I don't know and don't care about any of these other rivalry games. The only thing I know is that I hate Western. I mouth off at people wearing WKU stuff in the spring, summer and damn sure the fall and winter.

I don't know any true Western fans personally and don't care to. We hate them, they hate us. We don't even agree on the series record. The only thing we agree on is our hatred of UK

The only good thing about WKU is that they rescued the program a couple years ago for the sole reason that we are gonna start smacking them around next year.

I couldn't give a damn about Jax State or Appy State for now. The Jax State thing will build becuase of conference implications, but it does not and will never touch East vs. West

wkuhillhound
November 10th, 2005, 01:04 PM
I don't know and don't care about any of these other rivalry games. The only thing I know is that I hate Western. I mouth off at people wearing WKU stuff in the spring, summer and damn sure the fall and winter.

I don't know any true Western fans personally and don't care to. We hate them, they hate us. We don't even agree on the series record. The only thing we agree on is our hatred of UK

The only good thing about WKU is that they rescued the program a couple years ago for the sole reason that we are gonna start smacking them around next year.

I couldn't give a damn about Jax State or Appy State for now. The Jax State thing will build becuase of conference implications, but it does not and will never touch East vs. West


T- O- P- S Tops! Tops! Tops!
T- O- P- S Tops! Tops! Tops!
T- O- P- S Tops! Tops! Tops!
T- O- P- S Tops! Tops! Tops!
T- O- P- S Tops! Tops! Tops!
T- O- P- S Tops! Tops! Tops!
T- O- P- S Tops! Tops! Tops!
T- O- P- S Tops! Tops! Tops!
T- O- P- S Tops! Tops! Tops!
T- O- P- S Tops! Tops! Tops!


:p :D :p :D :p :D

COLONELSINCE78
November 10th, 2005, 02:19 PM
I guess the JETS stole that from you guys right? This is the stuff I am talking about

SU Jag
November 16th, 2005, 01:02 PM
The Bayou Classic(Southern vs. grambling) it draws over 70,000 to the Super Dome and the party starts on Wednesday evening and doesn't end till early Sunday mourning! Its all about the game, concerts, step shows, battle of the bands and everything else.

Cap'n Cat
November 16th, 2005, 01:06 PM
From the 2004 preview mag (page 12-13), article by Sean Brennan:




#3 GRAMBLING STATE VS. SOUTHERN
"The Bayou Classic"
Games in Series: 48
First Meeting: 1933
Record: Southern leads 25-23
Claim to Fame: The Original HBCU Classic




He was talking 1-AA, Ralph, not II.

:cool:

SU Jag
November 16th, 2005, 01:18 PM
My top 5 would be

The Bayou Classic-Southern vs. Grambling
The Florida Classic-Florida A&M vs. Bethune-Cookman. Draws over 70,000 yearly

The Magic City Classic-Alabama State vs. Alabama A&M- This game usually decides the SWAC East and it draws over 65,000 every year. It has been said that its more than a game its Magic City Classic Weekend!

Montana vs Montana State- I've seen this game and these two HATE each other

Southern vs Jackson State- One of the largest games in d1-AA

TypicalTribe
November 16th, 2005, 01:49 PM
My top 5 would be

The Bayou Classic-Southern vs. Grambling
The Florida Classic-Florida A&M vs. Bethune-Cookman. Draws over 70,000 yearly

The Magic City Classic-Alabama State vs. Alabama A&M- This game usually decides the SWAC East and it draws over 65,000 every year. It has been said that its more than a game its Magic City Classic Weekend!

Montana vs Montana State- I've seen this game and these two HATE each other

Southern vs Jackson State- One of the largest games in d1-AA

Doesn't the word classic kind of lose it's impact when the HBCUs seem to play about 50 of them every year?

If every game is a "classic", then it takes away from the ones that truly are.

eaglesrthe1
November 16th, 2005, 01:58 PM
DIIs don't count on the I-AA board.

By the way 1984 was a long time ago :nod:


Don't tell that to a UD fan.

grizband
November 16th, 2005, 02:40 PM
My top 5 would be

The Bayou Classic-Southern vs. Grambling
The Florida Classic-Florida A&M vs. Bethune-Cookman. Draws over 70,000 yearly

The Magic City Classic-Alabama State vs. Alabama A&M- This game usually decides the SWAC East and it draws over 65,000 every year. It has been said that its more than a game its Magic City Classic Weekend!

Montana vs Montana State- I've seen this game and these two HATE each other

Southern vs Jackson State- One of the largest games in d1-AA
I think its cool that someone who follows the SWAC would still rate Cat/Griz in their top 5 rivalry games. Id love to attend one of the classics.

SU Jag
November 16th, 2005, 02:55 PM
Doesn't the word classic kind of lose it's impact when the HBCUs seem to play about 50 of them every year?

If every game is a "classic", then it takes away from the ones that truly are.

No, not really. The "Classic" games are usually big rilvary games. These games gives the cities in which they are held a big economic boost.For example, the Magic City Classic here in Birmingham drew over 68,000 people this year. Add the other 40,000 or so who just tailgated and partied outside of the stadium and you've got over 100,000 folks. Add the fact at most "Classic" games the party starts on Wednesday night or Thurday and it doesnt end until that Sunday. You have to think that there are many heated rilvaries between HBCUs. A school may have 3 or 4 rilvals, so consequently the games are too big to be played at an on-campus stadium so they're moved to a larger venue, usually in a big city. Tennesee State plays in 3 different Classic games, they play Jackson State in the Southern Hertiage Classic which draws about 55,000, they play in the John Merritt Classic against Alabama A&M which draws about 60,000, and then the play in the Atlanta football classic against FAMU which draws between 65,000-70,000 people. Classic games are Classics because its the time when freinds, family all get together for the weekend. Concerts, stepshows, and the battle of the bands on Friday nights only help boost the "Classic" weekend even more. Add the fact the their are usually big stars in attendance at the games and at all the pre and post game functions during the weekend. Classics are a big part of HBCU football. Where else can you get two D-1AA or D2 schools to play in front of 50,000+? There is more to a "Classic" than just the game! Everything comes together to make it a classic weekend.

SU Jag
November 16th, 2005, 03:31 PM
O' yeah, I forgot about the bands!!!

WhereDoITypeMyUsername?
November 16th, 2005, 04:31 PM
No, not really. The "Classic" games are usually big...


I've gotten a little lippy about the SWAC being down this year, but that was a great post, and educational for a guy from the northwest. I've always been taken back by the pictures I see from the Bayou and Magic City classics, and knew it was big doin's down there, but didn't know it went to that extent.

That's some crazy ****. Like frickin football Mardi Gras a couple times a season. In I-AA. I'm changing my vote.

SU Jag
November 16th, 2005, 05:02 PM
Thats what it is, a football Mardi Gras!

charliej
November 16th, 2005, 05:04 PM
The hardcore Nova football fans are mostly alumni, mostly football alumni, well over 50 years old, having played before they dropped football. I'm not sure where the other fans or the students are, althouth this year's attendance has been pretty good--As has been proven time and again, Philly is just not a college football town, and Villanova is a basketball school. Nevertheless, the real Nova football fans really enjoy the rivalry, and I think it's as big a rivalry as you can have for a single sport.
What's great about the rivalvlry are the games themselves, real battles with comebacks and overtimes, etc. I believe over the last 10 years or so the point totals have ranged form the teens to 50's, but the average margin of victory can't be much more than 3 points. These have been some of the best football games I have seen as a spectator, period. With both teams being down this year, I'm looking forward to another intense, hard fought game.

I agree w/Catfan.
I know there are guys on the Nova board who feel like Nova ball should be I-A,and that its not worth watching if it isn't,but the guys I see every week are definately up for this game. For those that can only make one or two games a year,this is the game they will be at.

SU Jag
November 16th, 2005, 05:49 PM
Well next week I'm going to see two of the best rilvaries. On Thanksgiving I'm going to the Turkey Day Classic between Tuskegee and Alabama State down in Montgomery. After that I'm going to Houston to see the Bayou Classic between the Southern Jaguars and the Grambling State Tigers.

Umass74
November 16th, 2005, 07:10 PM
Could some SWAC fan tell me:

1. What is the oldest SWAC rilvary?
2. What is the most played SWAC Rilvary?

SU Jag
November 16th, 2005, 07:34 PM
Alabama State vs Tuskegee. Its the oldest and most played HBCU rivalry game!

FCS_pwns_FBS
November 16th, 2005, 07:46 PM
For all you HBCU fans,

Sorry to sound like a sour puss, but I can't help but think that the halftime performances at your games are a big factor in your attendance numbers. Yeah, most non-HBCU's don't get half as many as you do, but do a lot of people leave at half time?

I can tell you that when Savannah State's band came to our game in '01, a good many people stood up so they could see the performance. And of course, these are white people, who as a whole don't like hip-hop as much as blacks.

If it's true, all an HBCU has to do to make a lot of money is host a band competition for HBCU bands.

SU Jag
November 16th, 2005, 07:58 PM
For all you HBCU fans,

Sorry to sound like a sour puss, but I can't help but think that the halftime performances at your games are a big factor in your attendance numbers. Yeah, most non-HBCU's don't get half as many as you do, but do a lot of people leave at half time?

I can tell you that when Savannah State's band came to our game in '01, a good many people stood up so they could see the performance. And of course, these are white people, who as a whole don't like hip-hop as much as blacks.

If it's true, all an HBCU has to do to make a lot of money is host a band competition for HBCU bands.

It depends on the school. The big schools draw well because of everything that surrounds the game. Most fans of HBCU bands will be the 1st to tell you that the battle in the stands gets more attention than the halftime show! Even after the game, the bands stay for a 5th quarter. It has long been a negative sterotype that HBCU fans only come to watch the bands, and that is far away from the truth. Savannah State is another thing, they usually don't draw well like a Jackson State or a FAMU. True the band is a big part of the atmosphere at an HBCU game because they come to the game to be THE SHOW and not spectators, but trust me people do not file out of the stadium at halftime.

O'yeah there is a big Battle of the Bands held in Atlanta yearly called the Honda Battle of the Bands and it draws well over 65,000. It was called the Bet Classic in the movie Drumline.

SU Jag
November 16th, 2005, 08:48 PM
When it comes to sports and rivalry between the two schools, yes. When it comes to getting along in life, the two schools are very close. Very similar to our (Hampton) rivalry with Norfolk State. When it comes to the third Saturday in October and two games during BBall season, we HATE each other. When it comes to just getting along on a daily basis, we enjoy some good natured ribbing, but we are family, and we look at each other in that manner.


Where do you guys play the Hampton/Norfolk State game at? It seems that the game is a little bit to big to be played on-campus.