Historic Power Four vs Group of Six rivalries

The Battle for the Victory Bell is one of the oldest rivalries in college football. The matchup between Miami University and now Big 12 Conference opponent, the University of Cincinnati, has been going on since 1888. The teams have gone head to head almost every season to see who captures the victory bell. However, in 2023 Cincinnati made the jump from the American Conference to the Big 12.

The rivalry used to be between two Group of Six teams, but has since become a Power Four vs. Group of Six matchup. There are a few other notable rivalries in this same vein that have similar tensions to the Miami and Cincinnati feud.

Oregon State vs. Oregon

The game known as the “Civil War” is between the University of Oregon Ducks, a Big Ten school, and the Oregon State Beavers, who are a part of the Pac-12 conference. This matchup spans 129 games, going all the way back to 1894. The Oregon ducks have a commanding lead in the rivalry, winning 70 of their matchups, losing 49, and 10 ties. The two schools were both part of the Pacific Coast Conference, now called the Pac-12. In 2024, ten of its 12 schools left the original Pacific Coast Conference, making Washington State and Oregon State the only two left.

Though the schools were in the same conference, Oregon became a bigger school and had more access to recruiting, causing the rivalry to become lopsided in the 1990s. Since the Ducks left in 2024, the schools’ rivalry has been harder to maintain, and the next two years will not see this historic matchup.

Washington State vs. Washington

The Apple Cup rivalry first began in 1900, with the University of Washington Huskies and Washington State Cougars going head-to-head for the battle of the state of Washington. The Huskies lead the series all time with a record of 78-34-6, with 118 total games being played. Both schools were also part of the Pacific Coast Conference and Pac-12. When the Pac-12 dissolved, the Huskies went with Oregon to the Big Ten, while the cougars stayed put, turning the apple cup into a Power Four vs. Group of Six matchup.

In 1959, the Huskies hired Jim Owens, who went on an eight game win streak against the Cougars. Since then, the rivalry has been tilted in favor of the University of Washington. However, unlike Oregon and Oregon State, the Apple Cup is set to continue for the future annually, with the schools agreeing to play each other through 2028.

LSU vs. Tulane

In a matchup between two schools who are separated by only 81 miles, the Battle for the Rag is a rivalry game between the Louisiana State University (LSU) Tigers and the Tulane University Green Wave. This matchup has occurred 93 times, with the first matchup dating back to 1893. Both schools were part of the original South Eastern Conference, but LSU began to dominate the rivalry in 1949 after it beat then-ranked Tulane. Since then, LSU has won 24 straight. When Tulane left the conference in 1966 to join the Conference USA, LSU dominated all aspects of the rivalry, as the Green Wave downsized their program.

The Green Wave has since moved to the American Conference, joining back in 2014. The name of the rivalry comes from a flag that merges the colors of the two schools together, thus the Battle for the Rag. In 2009, the in-state rivalry series was put on hold, and their next matchup is scheduled for 2030.

Navy vs. Notre Dame

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Since 1927, the United States Naval Academy Midshipmen football team has gone head-to-head against the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish. This rivalry became the longest uninterrupted matchup in college football until 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the game.

The rivalry started when the Navy set up training programs on Notre Dame’s campus to help soldiers during World War II and keep the university afloat when they were struggling financially. This contributed to a mutual respect between the two programs, and after the game, the two universities come together to sing each other’s alma maters.

Notre Dame leads the rivalry and held a 43-game win streak against the Midshipmen from 1964 to 2007. The Irish have won 82 out of the 96 meetings, showing pure dominance. Although Notre Dame has never been part of any conference, they have always been a strong program and have gone against high-end talent, competing against Power Four schools consistently. The Naval Academy however was also independent until 2015, when they joined the American Conference.

Many of these rivalries have been geographical matchups. These games lead to high tensions to see who “wins” their respective state. Games such as the “Egg Bowl” between the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University, along with the “Iron Bowl” between Auburn University and the University of Alabama are some notable in-state games that occur yearly and are highly-anticipated matchups.

Due to schools switching conferences and some schools tilting these rivalry games in their favor, many have started to discontinue annual matchups in favor of higher ranked opponents. Miami vs. Cincinnati is a matchup that all Miamians love and one that Miami University pushes to continue as the oldest rivalry game in Ohio.

The 129th Battle for the Victory Bell will take place at 3:30 p.m. in TQL stadium in Cincinnati, a neutral site for both teams, and will be aired on ESPN+.

mccartd6@miamioh.edu