Rivalries are an enormous a part of what makes school soccer so particular. Few sports activities have as many significant feuds, lots of which span nicely over a century. Some rivalry video games are as entertaining and intriguing because the nationwide championship, if just for the custom and surrounding fanfare.
The SEC is not brief on featured conflicts. Some date again to the formation of the convention. Others have sprung up lately to accommodate for enlargement.
The newest spherical of convention shuffling brings Oklahoma and Texas into the fold, giving the SEC declare to certainly one of school soccer’s most prolific rivalries and permitting others to be renewed. The latter is without doubt one of the extra optimistic facets of the entire realignment fiasco.
Although the SEC has but to set in stone which rivalries might be protected because it debates which scheduling mannequin is acceptable for a 16-team super-conference, the 2024 and 2025 slates present some perception into which conflicts might be preserved or introduced again. Some can be inconceivable to put off for good.
With that in thoughts, this is how the SEC’s present (and sure future) rivalries stack up in opposition to each other.
1. Oklahoma vs. Texas (Crimson River Rivalry)
The pageantry. The custom. The stakes. The pure dislike for each other. The Crimson River Rivalry, née Shootout, checks just about each field you need in a school soccer blood feud. It additionally helps that the video games are aggressive. Neither workforce has received greater than 4 consecutive installments since 2004, and eight of the final 10 Crimson River video games have been determined by a single rating. Texas leads the all-time collection 63-51-5
2. Alabama vs. Auburn (Iron Bowl)
Although it might not be as historical as different entries on this listing, few rivalries have produced as many memorable moments because the Iron Bowl. From Chris Davis’ kick-six to Isaiah Bond’s miraculous fourth-down catch in Alabama’s most up-to-date win in opposition to Auburn, the Iron Bowl has given followers a feast of highlights that might be proven for many years to return. These two in-state foes can not stand each other, and an Iron Bowl win means an entire lot greater than the rest within the common season. Alabama leads 50-37-1
3. Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss (Egg Bowl)
Perhaps the Egg Bowl would not boast the identical nationwide stakes as different SEC rivalries, however that does not actually matter right here. This recreation will all the time really feel like the largest factor on both workforce’s schedule, no matter rankings or postseason outlooks. Few video games embody the pure chaos of faculty soccer just like the Egg Bowl. In spite of everything, Ole Miss misplaced a recreation on this collection as a result of certainly one of its gamers pretended to urinate like a canine. You simply cannot get that have wherever else. Ole Miss leads 65-46-6
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4. Florida vs. Georgia (Okefenokee Oar Trophy)
A rivalry so intense that there is a heated debate about which workforce must be listed first (they’re simply in alphabetical order right here), Florida-Georgia video games and the accompanying tailgates get so rowdy that the occasion is colloquially referred to as the “World’s Largest Outside Cocktail Occasion.” On the sector, this rivalry has featured school soccer giants like Vince Dooley and Steve Spurrier, and it usually determined the eventual winner of the now-defunct SEC East. Lengthy might its significance final into the brand new period. Georgia leads 55-44-2
5. Auburn vs. Georgia (Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry)
Because the nickname suggests, there’s appreciable historical past between these two groups. It is tied with North Carolina-Virginia (the South’s Oldest Rivalry) for the second-most performed collection within the FBS behind solely Wisconsin and Minnesota’s annual battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe. Not solely is it previous, Auburn vs. Georgia is often hotly contested; although the Bulldogs have dominated the fashionable period, one would not need to journey too far again to search out two heavyweights buying and selling annual blows. Georgia leads 64-56-8
6. Texas vs. Texas A&M (Lonestar Showdown)
Time has not diminished the vitriol on this rivalry. Though Texas and Texas A&M have not seen each other on the gridiron in 13 years, solely three rivalries within the SEC have extra video games than the 118 between the Longhorns and Aggies. The chilly emotions are so intense that every faculty mentions the opposite in its combat track (Texas) and struggle hymn (Texas A&M). School soccer’s model of the Kendrick Lamar-Drake beef, if you’ll. Texas leads 76-37-5
7. Alabama vs. Tennessee (Third Saturday in October)
Current outcomes have dimmed this rivalry’s spark a bit. Alabama has received 16 of the final 17 contests relationship again to 2007 — Nick Saban’s first season in Tuscaloosa, for these retaining observe. However earlier than that fashionable run, Alabama held a slim 43-38-7 lead within the all-time collection. Tennessee really dominated the roost for a majority of the Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s. And it doesn’t matter what the latest file might counsel, this recreation nonetheless means an entire lot to each side. Look no additional than Tennessee’s win in 2022; it is a miracle Knoxville was left standing. Alabama leads 59-39-7
8. Alabama vs. LSU (First Saturday in November)
The SEC West existed for 32 years. Alabama and LSU mixed to win that division 22 instances. A kind of two groups has made it to the SEC Championship Sport in every of the previous six years. Each groups have been ranked within the AP Prime 25 in 16 out of the final 18 installments on this collection. When Alabama and LSU face off, there’s all the time one thing main on the road, including status to a collection that is comparatively younger among the many SEC’s rivalries. Alabama leads 56-27-5
9. Florida vs. LSU
These two groups have solely met 70 instances, however nobody can say they have not been eventful. It is arduous to not love a rivalry that includes a recreation wherein Florida defensive again Marco Wilson threw a cleat resulting in a 15-yard penalty and a 57-yard, game-winning subject aim for LSU in soupy fog. This collection can be ridiculously aggressive and has featured a number of clashes between nationwide championship-caliber groups. Hopefully, the brand new schedule construction would not eradicate what was a premier cross-divisional showdown. Florida leads 33-31-3
10. Kentucky vs. Tennessee
This collection might lack in total stakes — Tennessee hasn’t made it to the SEC Championship Sport since 2007, whereas Kentucky hasn’t competed for a title because the divisional cut up — however on the coronary heart of each rivalry is a profound dislike of the opposition. Tennessee and Kentucky have that in droves. Though the Vols have comfortably dominated issues because the flip of the century, followers nonetheless circle this recreation on the calendar. Any Kentucky win is a momentous event, and the Wildcats have made issues nearer lately. The animosity has steadily grown over the century-plus that these two have been enjoying each other. Tennessee leads 83-26-9
11. Arkansas vs. Texas
One other long-dormant feud given new life by convention realignment, Arkansas and Texas are previous Southwest Convention foes that have not met on a constant foundation since 1991. A superb portion of faculty soccer viewers most likely aren’t sufficiently old to recollect the SWC in its heyday, which takes quite a lot of luster off this showdown. However there’s a wealthy historical past between these two groups, together with 10 top-10 matchups from 1961-80. Perhaps a constant SEC schedule can rekindle among the ardour. Texas leads 56-23
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12. LSU vs. Ole Miss (Magnolia Bowl)
As a self-confessed lover of offensive soccer, this rivalry is commonly a pleasure to look at. It doesn’t matter what both workforce appears to be like like for the remainder of the 12 months, the Magnolia Bowl can all the time assure factors. The Rebels and Tigers have mixed to attain no less than 48 in each matchup since 2014. It is also pretty aggressive (in a recent sense) with every workforce alternating wins since 2020. Nonetheless, each packages have no less than one or two groups that sit larger on their private listing of rivals. LSU leads 63-42-4
13. Arkansas vs. LSU (Battle for the Boot)
LSU and Arkansas performed sparingly by means of the years till 1992 when the Razorbacks’ transfer to the SEC and the next creation of divisions allowed the border states to turn into frequent opponents. The SEC even launched a shiny, golden, boot-shaped trophy (shaped by the define of Arkansas and Louisiana) in 1996 to carry some status into this rivalry. Razorback followers have loads of animosity in the direction of LSU, although the sensation might not be totally reciprocated with the Tigers’ already full ledger of sworn enemies. LSU leads 42-23-2
14. Arkansas vs. Texas A&M (Southwest Basic)
This collection has gone by means of numerous ebbs and flows. Each packages had been constitution members of the Southwest Convention in 1915 however didn’t play for the primary time till 1927. They did not set up a constant routine till 1934 and performed yearly till Arkansas left for the SEC in 1991. The rivalry was placed on ice till 2009 when it was introduced again because the Southwest Basic. The identify caught following Texas A&M’s transfer to the SEC in 2012, and the 2 have jockeyed for place within the SEC West ever since. The way forward for the Southwest Basic is in query, and 2024 stands out as the final recreation we see between these two in Arlington — for some time, no less than. Arkansas leads 42-35-3
15. Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt
Is there historical past between these two in-state universities? Sure, within the sense that they have been enjoying each other for some time. In truth, at 118 video games (and counting), there are solely 4 SEC collection which have been performed extra. Nevertheless it’s not often been persistently aggressive. Vanderbilt dominated the early goings — by early, assume 100 years in the past — and has executed nicely to safe 5 wins since 2012, however Tennessee’s appreciable assets have created a spot between the 2 faculties which may steadily develop within the NIL period. Tennessee leads 78-33-5
16. Georgia vs. South Carolina
South Carolina’s greatest foe, Clemson, resides within the ACC, so that does not depend for this listing. There’s a pure distaste for Georgia amongst Gamecocks trustworthy, although. The 2 packages share a recruiting footprint and South Carolina’s hiring of Steve Spurrier, whom Georgia followers had been already acquainted with from his stint at Florida, actually received the ball rolling on this one. It is not the SEC’s hottest rivalry, however there isn’t any love misplaced right here. Georgia leads 55-19-2
17. Missouri vs. Oklahoma
Most followers could possibly be forgiven for forgetting that Missouri and Oklahoma had been as soon as fixtures on one another’s schedules. They have not performed since 2011, the annual collection led to 1995 and the rivalry trophy (the Tiger-Sooner Peace Pipe) went lacking in 1975. Nonetheless, most of Missouri’s pure rivals reside in different conferences, and this one no less than deserves a revisit with the Sooners’ transfer to the SEC. Oklahoma leads 67-24-5
18. Arkansas vs. Missouri (Battle Line Rivalry)
Missouri desperately wanted a rivalry to cling to when it left its geographical roots to affix the SEC in 2012, so the convention conceived a Battle Line Trophy between the Tigers and Arkansas a few years later. Missouri has received eight out of 10 video games because the two first performed as convention foes in 2014. They shared a handful of contests earlier than that. Not less than there is a border to combat for between Arkansas and Missouri? Missouri leads 10-4
19. Missouri vs. South Carolina (Mayors’ Cup)
Also called the Battle for Columbia. I will provide you with two guesses as to why which may be. Aside from coincidentally named college places, there is not a ton of cause for this rivalry to exist outdoors the truth that, as with its annual recreation in opposition to Arkansas, Missouri wanted some manufactured dangerous blood when it left the Huge 12 behind. Perhaps it’s going to develop some roots because the SEC transitions into a brand new age. Missouri leads 9-5