In the United States, college rivalries are a prominent aspect of intercollegiate sports. These rivalries are characterized by a long-standing history of competitiveness that extends beyond the athletes on the field, often affecting the larger communities associated with the institutions.

The list below categorizes rivalries within sports conferences. Notably, some rivalries, such as the Indiana–Kentucky rivalry, occur between 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 schools find themselves in rivalries across all sports, including baseball and lacrosse. Notable rivalries include:

All sports Conference Tobacco Road (Duke Blue Devils/NC State Wolfpack/North Carolina Tar Heels/Wake Forest Demon Deacons) Duke–North Carolina rivalry North Carolina–NC State rivalry Virginia–Virginia Tech rivalry South's Oldest Rivalry (North Carolina vs Virginia) Syracuse–Boston College California–Stanford Non-conference Green Line Rivalry (Boston College vs Boston U.) Kentucky–Louisville rivalry Syracuse–UConn rivalry The Keg of Nails (Cincinnati–Louisville)

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. Backyard Brawl (Pittsburgh vs West Virginia) – first played 1905. Duke vs. Maryland Duke–Michigan men's basketball rivalry – first played in 1963. Kentucky–Louisville Rivalry (Louisville vs. Kentucky) The City Game (Pittsburgh vs Duquesne) – first played in 1932. Syracuse vs. Georgetown

Football Conference Boston College vs. Virginia Tech – first played in 1993. California vs. Stanford – Became an ACC rivalry when the two schools joined 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, while the 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. Gansz Trophy (SMU vs. Navy) – first played in 1930, but meetings were infrequent until the 1990s, and the trophy dates only to 2009. 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. Pittsburgh–Notre Dame football rivalry – first played 1899. River City Rivalry (Pittsburgh vs Cincinnati) – first played in 2005 Safeway Bowl (SMU vs. North Texas) – first played in 1922, but had long hiatuses from 1943–1973, 1993–2005, and 2008–2013, and went on hiatus again after SMU joined the ACC in 2024. SMU–Rice football rivalry – first played in 1916; played almost every year from 1926–2023 before SMU joined the ACC. SMU–TCU football rivalry (aka Battle for the Iron Skillet) – first played in 1915. Syracuse–West Virginia football rivalry – first played in 1945. Virginia Tech–West Virginia football rivalry – first played in 1912.

America East rivalries Basketball is typically the focus of sports rivalries in the America East Conference, though schools find themselves in rivalries across all sports, including baseball and lacrosse. Notable rivalries include: University at Albany and Binghamton University, also known as the I-88 Rivalry because of their geographic proximity. University at Albany and University of Vermont mostly in men's basketball, due to the successes these two teams have had in the 2000s. University at Albany and University of Maryland, Baltimore County in women's volleyball and men's lacrosse. University of New Hampshire and University of Maine, more notorious for its hockey rivalry, the Maine–New Hampshire rivalry bleeds into other sports as well. The schools' football rivalry is a conference clash in CAA Football, the technically separate football arm of the Coastal Athletic Association.

Non-conference Albany–Siena rivalry – first meeting was in 1940. University at Albany and Stony Brook University – This was a conference rivalry until Stony Brook left the AmEast for the all-sports CAA in 2022. Their football rivalry, known as the Empire Clash, has been a conference matchup since 2013, when both schools joined CAA Football. Central Connecticut–Hartford rivalry, a rivalry started in basketball is now starting to gain popularity in baseball. University of Hartford and University of Maryland, Baltimore County in both men's and women's basketball until Hartford moved to NCAA Division III in 2023. Stony Brook University and University of Vermont, mostly in men's basketball, due to the successes these two teams have had in the 2010s. It became a non-conference matchup when Stony Brook joined the all-sports CAA in 2022.

Big East rivalries

The Big East Conference, founded as a basketball conference, is a league of 11 Division I schools, with only University of Connecticut playing FBS–level football. The conference, while centered in the northeast, is also geographically diverse, stretching from Nebraska to New England. Current rivalries include: Butler Bulldogs and Xavier Musketeers – among the most successful Division I men's basketball programs in the 21st century, the two schools were founding members of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, and were also two of the three Midwestern schools invited to join the Big East at its relaunch in 2013. DePaul Blue Demons and Marquette Golden Eagles – originally Division I independents, both joined Conference USA and the original Big East at the same time, and are among the "Catholic 7" that formed the current Big East after breaking away from the former members of the conference who all sponsored Division I Football Bowl Subdivision-level football. One of several sports rivalries involving teams from Chicago and Milwaukee, alongside the Brewers–Cubs rivalry and (by proxy) the Bears–Packers rivalry. The rivalry reached its zenith in the late 1970s, when both DePaul and Marquette were national powers. However, the rivalry has, as of late, heavily favored Marquette, with the Milwaukee school winning approximately four out of every five meetings since the early 1990s. Georgetown Hoyas and St. John's Red Storm' — these two "Catholic 7" schools, neither of which plays Division I FBS football (Georgetown plays in Division I FCS, and St. John's has no football program), had their basketball teams rise to prominence in the 1980s, having numerous meetings that impacted the NCAA Championship as well as the Big East title. Both teams were known for their charismatic coaches, John Thompson at Georgetown and Lou Carnesecca at St. John's. Rivalry has declined in recent years. This rivalry has also influenced other sports, as the two schools' baseball teams opened Citi Field on March 29, 2009 with the third game of a three-game series that started at Georgetown. The Hoyas won the game, and the series. Georgetown–UConn men's basketball rivalry — first game played between the two schools took place on December 22, 1958. Georgetown Hoyas and Villanova Wildcats — these two Division I FCS football schools share an intense rivalry in basketball, stemming from Villanova's defeat of John Thompson's Hoya team in the 1985 NCAA championship game. The rivalry takes on a religious tone as Augustinian (Villanova) versus Jesuit (Georgetown). Jokes about the opposing orders fly back and forth during the week preceding Villanova–Georgetown. In recent years the rivalry has undergone somewhat of a revival, with both teams enjoying success in the regular season and recent NCAA tournaments. This rivalry continues in the reconfigured Big East. Providence Friars and Villanova Wildcats — the two smallest schools in the original Big East battle each year. The rivalry is also elevated by the Catholic orders which run the schools; Providence's Dominicans and Villanova's Augustinians. St. John's Red Storm and Seton Hall Pirates – two local "Catholic 7" schools battle every year in basketball. New York vs New Jersey bragging rights are on the line as well as competing for many local basketball recruits in the area. Non-conference Notre Dame–UConn women's basketball rivalry – a rivalry that started in the 1990s when both schools were members of the original Big East, intensified in the 2000–01 season with three pivotal matchups (one of which became the focal point of a published book, Bird at the Buzzer), and became nationally significant in the 21st century, especially after UConn's rivalry with Tennessee went on a 13-year hiatus. Notre Dame was responsible for more than half of UConn's losses from 2011 to 2019 (8 out of 15). Ocean State Rivalry a college basketball rivalry that started in 1920 between Providence College and the University of Rhode Island. Rutgers–UConn women's basketball rivalry – a rivalry that intensified after Tennessee stopped scheduling Rutgers in non–conference play. Stanford–UConn women's basketball rivalry – another nationally significant rivalry, with five of their 18 total meetings coming in the Final Four. Tennessee–UConn women's basketball rivalry – the women's basketball rivalry between the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers and the University of Connecticut Huskies is one of the fiercest rivalries in college basketball, and perhaps the only one to reach national consciousness out of the women's game. This rivalry was halted in 2007 due to a falling-out between the schools' head coaches (respectively Pat Summitt and Geno Auriemma), and did not resume until 2020 (four years after Summitt's death).

Big Ten rivalries