Best Football & Basketball COMBO rivalries in the country?
Have been watching some documentaries on other college basketball rivalries like UK-UL and Duke-Carolina, and have found an interesting question that I've had trouble with.
What is the best Football-Basketball rivalry in the country? Where both programs are really good, have really good histories and are notable primetime games for networks.
For example, those two rivalries I mentioned above in Basketball are huge. But they don't register on the Football side at all.
The Iron Bowl in Football? I'm not sure if those schools know they have basketball teams.
The Game is the ultimate rivalry in Football. But on the Basketball side, it does not have the same intensity.
Anyone?
Good call. I posted this somewhere else before USC (Trojans) lost, but they are now out so it's down to UM & Wiscy.
We actually lost the NC five additional times: UCLA in the '60s, IU in the '70s, Duke and UNC in the '90s, and Louisville in 2013.
Don't like to lose, but those are some elite teams in their prime. It's not like we lost to Butler or Wichita State.
Agreed, but only having one NC IMO does not qualify a team as a "blue blood" program when looking at their historic record (.584 winning percentage). For example if you compare football, UM is #1 all time in wins. Basketball is not even in the top 50.
We are not a basketball blue blood. We are a good solid second-tier like Washington or UCLA are in football.
We would need another NC and some longer consistent success to enter into elite status. It's not un-doable, but we are not there now.
(BTW, you can make this same statement about some so-called "basketball schools" like Georgetown, Syracuse, and Arizona. They are passionate about basketball but they are not blue bloods.)
I'd consider USC a blue blood football program and UCLA a blue blood basketball program, but USC is not a blue blood basketball program and UCLA is not a blue blood football program. They might be the closest match though.
(Sorry, I originally posted this somewhere else before USC (Trojans) lost, but they are now out so it's down to UM & Wiscy.)
It was very short lived and technically not a rivalry but I will throw out OSU and Florida. In 2006-07 they played in the football NC game in January 2007 then later that spring the basketball NC game. A few years later, Meyer would leave Florida only to end up at OSU, something that Florida fans still won't get over.
This is a tough question and I don't think there are many good answers (for reasons outlined in earlier posts).
Here's one, though: Utah and BYU
Utah has LDS roots but it's now the "secular" institution, so it can be opposed to BYU. Both schools have been at least decent in both sports recently.
Florida and Florida State has recently been a good rivalry in both sports.
If you'd be OK with one school being lousy at something, I think Iowa vs. Iowa State is a good two-sport rivalry. Football has been closer than you'd expect in the last 10-15 years.
March 20th, 2017 at 11:54 PM ^
"To hell with Notre Dame"
I would contend that, back when we were playing the Irish on a regular basis in both sports, it was the best national rivalry in those two sports. The problem with every other potential candidate is that one or both was weak in one of the two sports, or that they were a purely in-state or relatively local rivalry.
There were important games in both sports in the regular season, including a record-setting attendance games at Michigan Stadium in football, and at the Silverdome in B-Ball, and important NCAA tournamant games in B-Ball
Unfortunately, it's just a distant memory for old farts like me. It's a strong argument to start scheduling the Drunken Brawling Leprechauns on a regular basis for both sports.
March 20th, 2017 at 10:07 PM ^
March 20th, 2017 at 10:33 PM ^
March 20th, 2017 at 11:22 PM ^
March 20th, 2017 at 11:22 PM ^
It's got to be Connecticut-Central Florida, right? The basketball teams take the Civil ConFLiCT just as seriously as the football teams do!
March 20th, 2017 at 11:43 PM ^
in terms of combined fball/bball, I don't think either game really moves the needle nationally.
In basketball, 2013 was the only year we've ever had a top 10 matchup. I can't immediately find the stat in football, but I can't remember any recently.
For me, it's difficult to know how the rivalry is viewed outside of the state - and if it's even considered a big deal outside of the Big Ten. I do think of a rivalry like Oklahoma-Okie State - I don't view it as a major rivalry, but it may be viewed similar to UM/MSU within the Big 12 (right down to Oklahoma having a bigger football rival in Texas).
The biggest combo rivalry is a great question. Florida/FSU, Virgina/Va Tech, Oklahoma/OSU, and UCLA/USC have all had some decent fbal/bball seasons. They might not have national pedigree, but I would bet at least the Oklahoma and Virginia rivalries have similar passion. BYU/Utah definitely fits that description, too.
I'm stumped on this one.
March 20th, 2017 at 11:43 PM ^
Sorry, I doubled posted. I'm not sure how to delete the second post - only edit.
I agree with the poster below who states the question itself is vague, and a lot might depend on what you mean by "best."
You also have to factor out those of you whose youth and recency bias means you are looking at the last five years or so. Real rivalries are not borne over such short periods.
The real and true answer is that there is no such animal. Miichigan comes about the closest to an important school in both sports, though baseket prominence is rather recent. For a traditional rivalry, you cannot beat Harvard-Yale, but their programs cannit be considered "important."
Flordia has been a school with accolades in both sports, though nowwhere near long enough to have a pedigree. And their natural rivals are down South anyways.
Michigan-OSU comes the closest to a rivalry in both sports, though each team's basketball programs have been hit and miss.
If you think OSU is no good in basketball, Google the names Jerry Lucas and Bobby Knight.
Mich-osu
Usc-ucla
Tex-ou
ND-MSU
Duke-NC
Stan-cal
Pitt-WV
Ala-aub