Arkansas Razorbacks

Creating Five New Non-Conference Rivalry Games

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Many conference rivalries have been left for dead thanks to conference realignment, now it’s time to create some new non-conference rivalries to bring some more passion to college football.

It started when the Big East first broke up when teams like Virginia Tech, Miami and Boston College left for the ACC. It continued with the Big East again as they lost Pittsburgh, Syracuse, West Virginia, Rutgers and Louisville.

The Big 12 lost Texas A&M, Missouri, Colorado, and Nebraska. The ACC lost Maryland. Countless rivalries were killed thanks to money hungry greed that college football has embroiled. There hasn’t been much of an effort to rekindle any of the hate we loved to see.

From Texas vs Texas A&M to Missouri vs Kansas, and many many more, college football has lost a lot of natural rivalries.

What if games like that just weren’t possible to revisit? What other non-conference games would we create to bring back some good ole fashioned hate?

There are several key factors to creating a good rivalry. It’s not easy to create one these days, I mean look at UConn trying to create some silly one against Central Florida. You have to know what could bring out the passion and love to hate out of the fan bases.

First, sharing a border is one piece of criteria that can really help a rivalry get started. Fans won’t have to travel all that far and it’s easy to keep up with each other’s teams. Another factor could be that they compete for the same kids in recruiting, which could really bring out the best (or worst) in coaches when it comes to making kids see that your school is the better program.

Next, maybe they have similar play styles that makes the games close and exciting or maybe the institutions have similar or polar opposite core values and beliefs. There’s a lot that can go into making a rivalry work.

For the purpose of this, it was attempted to get rivalries from all different regions of the country. Perhaps some better options were left out, but the purpose was to try to hit as much of the country as possible.

Just missing the cut were: TCU vs Arkansas, Houston vs Louisville, South Florida vs Florida State and Texas Tech vs Arizona State.

Sep 1, 2016; East Hartford, CT, USA; Connecticut Huskies quarterback Bryant Shirreffs (4), Connecticut Huskies wide receiver Noel Thomas (5) and their teammates celebrate after defeating the Maine Black Bears at Rentschler Field. UConn defeated Main 24-21. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

5. UConn vs UMass

Now, this may not be a sexy start to the list, but the northeast needs some football rivalries to develop. Both of these programs are in interesting spots of their development. UMass has gone independent after their MAC deal ran out and are trying to find a home for their fairly new FBS program. UConn is stuck in the AAC with a bunch of former Conference USA schools that are thousands of miles away and are lacking any national names.

If Uconn is left out of the Big 12, and even if they get it, they should look into a yearly contest against a regional opponent. BC would be an option but those schools have bad blood ever since BC blocked UConn via vote from moving to the ACC.

UMass could be a solid option as UMass tries to build some kind of success. UMass mainly plays at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough but their campus is Amherst just outside of Springfield. UConn plays their games just outside of Hartford. The proximity between the two is within an hour of each other. The border battle could be real for Massachusetts and Connecticut residents.

It may not get national love, but locally it would be a heated battle. It could even have some corny trophy such as the Patriot Trophy or something like that to play homage to the Revolutionary War connections.

Now, for the big boys.

Dec 26, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Washington Huskies head coach Chris Peterson reacts after a play in the game against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at Cotton Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

4. Boise State vs Washington

The campuses themselves are over a seven-hour drive apart. Although that is doable for a daily trip, it is a bit long. However, this could easily work. They’ve played four times before with each team taking two games. Also, Idaho and Washington do border each other.

Making it even more relevant now is that Washington coach Chris Peterson coached at Boise State before taking the Huskies job. He left Boise in great shape and he’s now turning Washington into a top 10 team this season. The top talent on both squads could surely make it a competitive game each and every season.

Boise fans will surely want their team to take it to their former coach and Washington fans will want to show that they are the superior program and that’s why Peterson left for Seattle.

The game would also have the “big guy vs little guy” complex to it as Washington hails from the Pac 12 and Boise from the group of five Mountain West.

Hailed as the Great Northwest Shootout, this potential rivalry could be quite successful if it were to come to fruition.

Sep 5, 2015; South Bend, IN, USA; A Texas pennant flies in front of The Word of Life Mural, commonly known as Touchdown Jesus before the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Texas Longhorns at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

3. BYU vs Notre Dame

This one actually almost happened. Before Notre Dame joined the ACC part-time for football, they had agreed to a six game series with the Cougars. That has led to the teams only meeting in 2012 and 2013.

This is something the schools need to reconsider and find a way to possibly make it work. BYU is obviously well known for its Mormon background and they already embrace the “Holy War” game that it has with Utah. BYU against the Catholic school of Notre Dame, could truly be a Holy War.

Both schools and their fans are truly passionate about their teams, their beliefs and their values. It’s a recipe for an electric atmosphere. Imagine the Irish playing in Provo, Utah against these Cougars? The crowd could be insane.

If these two schools can get together, they could really create something special between schools that are thousands of miles apart.

Sep 10, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley speaks to his players prior to action against the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

2. Oklahoma vs Arkansas

These two teams share a border but couldn’t be any more different. Oklahoma, right in the middle of Tornado Alley, identifies as a Midwest/western school. Meanwhile Arkansas of the SEC prides it self as a southern school in the mighty SEC.

This potential border war could have some legs. Bob Stoops has always downplayed the national love that the SEC gets and this could be his chance to play a physical SEC squad year round and try to prove that his Sooners could play with the boys of the south.

It would truly be a battle of polar opposites. Oklahoma of the typical spread out style of play from the Big 12 and Arkansas with the smash mouth SEC style. It would be fun to see which style would win year in and year out.

Call it the Southland Trophy or whatever you want, this battle of crimson colored schools could easily develop into a heated rivalry.

Sep 10, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Les Miles congratulates Russell Gage (39) after a tackle against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks during the second half at Tiger Stadium. LSU defeated Jacksonville State 34-13. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports

1. LSU vs Texas

How awesome would it be to get these two titanic programs squaring off every season?

Once again, a potential border war between Louisiana and Texas. Even though Austin is a bit far from the border, we all know Longhorn fans can be found all over the state. It’s also another SEC-Big 12 match-up, which has become a very interesting conference battle of late.

Also helping matters is that LSU does like to recruit in Texas if they were to recruit outside of the “south”, especially since Texas A&M joined the SEC. Now they could promise recruits a couple of trips to Texas. Battling for the same recruits will always bring out passion.

Both fan bases are manic and would ignite the atmosphere at the stadium. Games could easily be played on campus or they can get creative and alternate between the Cowboys’ At&T Stadium and the Superdome in New Orleans.

A neutral site for these two fan bases would certainly be one scene to see. Half purple and yellow, half burnt orange. I could see it now.

The Bayou Bengals against the Hook ’em Horns. Make it happen.