Men’s college basketball’s 100 greatest rivalries: No. 100-76, with Memphis vs. Tennessee

Part one of a four-part series of history and disdain.

A couple of disclaimers before we get started.

First, this list is limited to Division-I men’s basketball rivalries. If you want to read about Calvin University vs. Hope College or Ferris State vs. Grand Valley State, this isn’t going to be the place.

Second, this list has been proven by both math and science to be 100 percent accurate. There is no room for discussion. There is no room for debate. This is the list.

Let’s get to it.

100. North Carolina Central vs. North Carolina A&T

Once the MEAC’s defining rivalry, the series took a hit when North Carolina A&T bolted for the CAA in 2021. The two hated rivals now play just one contest — the “Eagle Aggie Classic” — each season.

99. UCSB vs. Cal Poly

The “Blue-Green Rivalry” is probably best known for men’s soccer, but the two Big West programs don’t care for one another in basketball either. The Gauchos have dominated in recent years, winning 15 of the last 16 contests.

98. Army vs. Navy

The first of several rivalries on this list that are far more known for their prominence in football, Army and Navy also have a heated Patriot League rivalry on the hardwood. The Midshipmen lead the all-time series, 85-56. The Black Knights, infamously, are one of just four original Division-I programs that have never made the NCAA Tournament.

97. Portland vs. Portland State

A lack of a rich basketball history is not going to keep a heated rivalry off this list. The Pilots and Vikings, despite playing in different conferences, despise one another and have played some extremely competitive games over the past two decades. That’s enough to warrant a spot in the top 100.

96. UConn vs. St. John’s

A rivalry too fresh to be any higher on this list, St. John’s vs. UConn has a chance to be the biggest thing in the Big East over the decade that lies ahead. Two of the highest profile head coaches in the sport, Rick Pitino and Dan Hurley are too similarly spirited for these matchups to not give us more memorable moments (like Hurley’s fiery interaction with “red blazer guy”) over the years to come.

95. Southeast Missouri State vs. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Watch any game at any time between SEMO and SIUE, and the disdain the two programs have for one another will be impossible to miss. SEMO has historically dominated the series, but SIUE is the side with current bragging rights after knocking off their arch-rivals in last year’s Ohio Valley tournament championship game to punch their first-ever ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

94. Illinois vs. Northwestern

The rivalry dates all the way back to 1908, but can’t be ranked any higher on this list because of how thoroughly the Illini have dominated. While the two teams have split their season series in each of the last three years, Illinois still owns the all-time count by a whopping total of 144 wins to 46.

93. UAB vs. Memphis

Memphis dominated the “Battle for the Bones” while the pair were both members of Conference USA, and has picked right back up since UAB joined The American in 2023. While the pair have played some classics over the years, the Tigers lead the all-time series 40-12.

92. Houston vs. Texas Tech

Houston has had no trouble making high-profile enemies since it joined the Big 12, and Texas Tech is near the top of that list. The two teams played a pair of fantastic games last season, and have split the eight games that they’ve played all-time. This has the potential to be one of the Big 12’s better rivalries over the years to come.

91. North Florida vs. Jacksonville

The crosstown rivals from the Atlantic Sun play a pair of games each season that are known as the “River City Rumble.” Jacksonville won the first 11 games in series history, but the Ospreys have stormed back to claim a current all-time advantage of 23 to 22.

90. The Citadel vs. VMI

One of the most fun and competitive rivalries in all of mid-major basketball, the two SoCon military schools first played in 1920 (a 71-8 VMI win), and have played almost every year since 1953. VMI leads the all-time series by the narrowest of margins, 63-62.

89. West Virginia vs. Marshall

This is the first of a handful of rivalries on this list that are currently defined by one side refusing to play the other. Despite much protesting from the Marshall side, West Virginia has refused to play their in-state rivals in a scheduled matchup since the 2015-16 season. This resulted in a spicy second round NCAA Tournament game in 2018 that was won by the Mountaineers.

88. BYU vs. Gonzaga

Another trend on this list will be once scorching rivalries that have been cooled off significantly thanks to conference realignment. The pair played some fantastic games, including three conference tournament title matchups, during BYU’s stint in the Big West, but they haven’t squared off since the Cougars bolted for the Big 12.

87. Georgetown vs. Villanova

This rivalry isn’t entirely about the 1985 national championship game ... but it’s largely about the 1985 national championship game. Despite Georgetown’s struggles as a program over the last decade and Villanova’s recent dominance in the series, the Hoyas still hold a 51-46 all-time edge.

86. Murray State vs. Belmont

The two programs dominated the Ohio Valley Conference during their co-existence in the league, and then left together for the Missouri Valley in 2022. They haven’t yet found that same level of success in the MVC, but their rivalry has persisted.

85. Charlotte vs. Davidson

The North Carolina rivals play annually for “The Hornet’s Nest Trophy.” Charlotte leads the all-time series, 31-20, but after a victory last year, Davidson has now won nine of the past 12 matchups.

84. Stephen F. Austin vs. Sam Houston

Though the basketball series doesn’t have as cool of a name as the football one — “Battle of the Piney Woods” — it’s even more loaded with history. The two programs have played multiple times a year since 1956, with Stephen F. Austin winning 74 times and Sam Houston claiming 61 victories.

83. Wofford vs. Furman

The “I-85” rivalry is one of the biggest highlights of any season in the SoCon. It’s especially notable given how successful the two programs have been, with the Terriers and Paladins being the only active members of the conference that have won a game in the NCAA Tournament this century. Wofford has the ultimate bragging rights at the moment after knocking off Furman in last March’s SoCon championship game.

82. Drexel vs. Penn

Though the pair haven’t played nearly as many times as you’d thing, “The Battle of 33rd Street” is still notable for being the closest geographical rivalry in Division-I athletics, with the schools’ campuses sharing a physical border and their home courts located just blocks apart. The rivalry received a boost in 2023 when Drexel was officially added to the famed Philadelphia “Big 5.”

81. Baylor vs. Houston

Though Houston has dominated the all-time series (40-16), Kelvin Sampson and Scott Drew’s teams have played some absolute bangers since the Cougars joined the Big 12. The two games are automatic circles on the Big 12 sports calendar at this point.

80. Dayton vs. Saint Louis

There seem to be fans on both sides here that deny the existence of this rivalry (especially on the UD side), but it’s pretty clearly a thing. The programs are two of the biggest brands in the Atlantic 10 and play for the “Arch Baron Cup” each season. Dayton currently leads the all-time series, 43-30.

79. Oakland vs. Detroit-Mercy

The only two Division-I schools in the Detroit area, the two Horizon League programs meet twice a year in the “Metro Series.” While Oakland, winners of 12 of the last 13 games, has controlled the series, the level of contempt that’s present each time the two teams share the court still makes every game appointment viewing.

78. Miami (Ohio) vs. Ohio

Dating back to 1908, the “Battle of the Bricks” is one of the oldest and most-played rivalries in all of college basketball. Miami leads the all-time series by a count of 121-96, but Ohio has won 10 of the last 12.

77. Canisius vs. Niagara

The oldest rivalry in the MAAC, Canisius and NIagara first met on the hardwood all the way back in 1904. The two programs compete across all sports annually in what is referred to as the “Battle of the Bridge,” a reference to the Grand Island Bridge, which both teams must cross to reach the other’s campus. Whichever program has the most total wins at the end of the athletic year receives the “Canal Cup.” Niagara leads the all-time men’s basketball series, 112-84.

76. Memphis vs. Tennessee

This is one of the strangest rivalries on the list. When it has burned, it has burned just about as brightly as any rivalry in college basketball. In fact, you could argue that the excessive heat is the root cause of the two teams not playing more than they have over the years. This century has seen the teams play a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown in 2008, and then an absolutely ridiculous sequence of events in 2018 and 2019 that led to the two sides (or at least the Tennessee side) choosing to not continue the series. The hate is still there. We just need ti get the games back.

Check back soon for the next installment of this series.