The Biggest College Basketball Rivalries in the US

By Amelia Walker Senior Content Writer Updated: 06 October 2023

Amelia Walker Senior Content Writer

Amelia Walker is a Senior Content Writer at Betting.US. She has a law degree and deep knowledge of the gambling laws in the United States. Her mission is to keep players informed about responsible gambling, while her passion for sports helps her create useful guides. Amelia has over a decade of experience in betting, which has positioned her as a trusted voice among our readers.

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The Biggest College Basketball Rivalries

• Best College Basketball Rivalries
• College Basketball Rivalries: How They Begin
• Duke vs. North Carolina: A Historic Clash
• Kentucky vs. Louisville: The Bluegrass Battle
• Indiana vs. Purdue: The Hoosier State Showdown
• UCLA vs. Arizona: The Pac-12 Powerhouse Rivalry
• Frequently Asked Questions

College basketball is known for having some of the most intense rivalries in all of sports. The passion and competitiveness between schools comes out in full force at pretty much every match – and emotive, intense, exciting games are a common result of these rivalries.

However, when it comes to looking at the biggest college basketball rivalries, a definitive list is always going to be somewhat subjective; after all, some fans may not even see something as a rivalry, while others do. Today’s post looks at the biggest college basketball rivalries – so, without further ado, let’s get started!

Best College Basketball Rivalries

In today’s blog, where we will be looking at the best college basketball rivalries in history, we’ll cover some of the ones you’ll almost certainly know, from Duke vs North Carolina to UCLA vs Arizona. We’ll look at exactly how these rivalries were formed, why things often became so heated, and look back at key moments that were instrumental in the formation of these rivalries.

While you’re here, if you want to find the best college basketball betting sites around, make sure you check out our reviews of online sportsbooks, all written by online gambling experts.

College Basketball Rivalries: How They Begin

Rivalries are an integral part of college basketball. There are many reasons rivalries emerge between different schools and their basketball teams. Sometimes it’s simply geographic proximity that sparks a competitive spirit. Schools that are located close together often compete for local talent, media attention, and fan support. The clash for regional bragging rights can quickly turn schools into heated rivals, and this is one of the most common reasons that rivalries form within the NCAA.

The best college basketball rivalries often develop between schools that consistently compete against one another for major accolades. Many times, two teams will have a ferocious game, and from there, the intensity of future games naturally increases.

Another reason for many NCAA rivalries is the long, competitive histories between schools. Of course, this isn’t always sports-related – many cities and towns have schools that dislike one another for whatever reason – but when sport gets involved, things often seem to get a lot more personal.

Some rivalries exist for no other reason than the schools’ fan bases despise one another. The tension between opposing fans can drive a rivalry even when the games themselves are generally uncompetitive. It’s just a part of human nature, if you like; every school views the other with a level of contempt, and this often raises the stakes of their games and generates huge buzz around the match. Now, let’s take a look at some of the biggest rivalries in college basketball.

Duke vs. North Carolina: A Historic Clash

When it comes to college sports, the Duke Blue Devils and UNC Tar Heels’ rivalry is one of the most well-known. The two schools are located just 10 miles apart in the state of North Carolina, making location a huge factor in the animosity between the teams. They both play in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and, between them, they’ve won more than 49 conference titles. Remember, the ACC was only established back in 1953, so this feat is even more impressive when you take this into account.

As their matches have always been pretty intense, it used to be nothing unusual to see skirmishes on and off the court. In fact, they’ve coined the name as “The Battle for Tobacco Road” – and throughout the history of both teams, we’ve seen them producing some legendary matches, some getting pretty physical and leaving players bloody and bruised.

The Duke-UNC rivalry reached new heights in the 1980s under coaches Mike Krzyzewski and Dean Smith. Their fiercely competitive Hall of Fame careers set the foundation for generations of legendary matches. Players like Michael Jordan, Christian Laettner, and Grant Hill were all North Carolina alumni, and one of the most notable games ever happened in 1984.

Jordan was playing with the UNC Tar Heels against the Devils in Chapel Hill. It was a phenomenal game – with both teams showing their incredible skills on the court. The game went into double overtime, and even today, it’s often regarded as being one of the most memorable meetings between the two teams. As you can imagine, matches like these create a lot of excitement and action at the best basketball gambling sites.

Kentucky vs. Louisville: The Bluegrass Battle

The Kentucky–Louisville rivalry, particularly in men’s college basketball, is one of the most intense in the NCAA. The rivalry’s intensity is amplified by the proximity of the two schools – one very common trend we see among rivalries in all types of sport.

According to the Bleacher Report, this is the second biggest of all the college basketball rivalries, and both teams have a long history of playing against one another; their first game was played in 1913! However, this stopped during the 1920s, with the teams playing just 12 games between 1913 and 1983. However, this changed in 1983 when they faced off in an NCAA tournament. This is where the rivalry really started, and they’ve since played at least one match against each other every year.

The Kentucky-Louisville rivalry was, for the most part, fueled by the fact that both teams sat so highly on the ranking tables in Division 1 Men’s Basketball. Kentucky currently are number two on the list, while Louisville are sat at number six. The games are always fast-paced, action-packed and filled with emotion – and attend any match and you will see huge amounts of competitiveness and skill!

Another factor that increased the intensity of the rivalry was Rick Pitino’s coaching career. Pitino served as the head coach of Kentucky from 1989 to 1997, leading the team to a national title. Then, in 2001, Pitino became the new head coach of the rival Louisville Cardinals – something that was seen as a complete betrayal by some Kentucky fans.

Below, we’ll take a look at some of the most memorable Kentucky-Louisville games ever played:

Indiana vs. Purdue: The Hoosier State Showdown

The Indiana and Purdue basketball programs are huge NCAA basketball rivals, competing every year for bragging rights in the state of Indiana. As the two biggest college basketball powers in the state, located just 70 miles apart, their games are always fast-paced and intense.

The rivalry dates back to 1901 and is the oldest in Division I basketball. Games are known for loud crowds, which take place at both Indiana’s Assembly Hall and Purdue’s Mackey Arena. With both teams usually ranked highly and contending for the Big Ten title, their head-to-head battles often determine postseason seeding, which is one of the core reasons behind the rivalry – and the intensity behind the games.

Due to the popularity of the games, students often camp out for ages to get tickets to the first Indiana-Purdue clash of every season – and this is always covered heavily by local and national media. It may look like a heated rivalry at times – and it is – but it’s all in good faith, and problems rarely break out at games.

UCLA vs. Arizona: The Pac-12 Powerhouse Rivalry

When it comes to sports rivals, NCAA basketball teams often rank top of the list – and the UCLA Bruins vs the Arizona Wildcats is yet another major rivalry. The intensity of the UCLA Bruins vs Arizona Wildcats rivalry can be attributed to a few key factors.

First of all, these two universities boast a rich history of success in the world of college basketball. They are the two most successful teams in the history of the Pac-12 Conference, and their storied pasts are closely intertwined.

UCLA’s basketball program, one of the most iconic in the history of the sport, has claimed a record eleven national titles. Under the leadership of legendary coach John Wooden, the Bruins established an era of dominance in the 1960s and 1970s that is often regarded as the most impressive stretch in NCAA history. This has set a high standard for the Bruins, with the expectation that they will always be in the mix for the Pac-12 title and a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

On the other hand, the Wildcats took a slightly different path. Arizona became a powerhouse in the 1980s under the guidance of coach Lute Olson. He transformed the Wildcats, taking them to win the national championship in 1997. Since then, Arizona has been consistently competitive, winning regular-season and tournament titles in the Pac-12 Conference.

Secondly, the head-to-head games between these two teams are usually for high stakes. More often than not, these matchups have major implications for conference standings, seeding for the conference tournament, and the NCAA Tournament. The outcomes of these games can often swing the fate of the season one way or another for both teams. This has been seen before, especially in matches wagered by punters at some of the top NBA betting sites.