Check out our previous lists as we break down the top 100 rivalries in men’s college basketball:
50. Clemson vs. South Carolina
The basketball version of the Palmetto Series may not pack the same pop as its football counterpart, but there’s still a lot there between these two programs. Clemson owns a narrow 93-81 edge in the series, which was first played in 1927.
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49. VCU vs. Richmond
When both sides have been solid, the Capital City Classic has churned out some absolute bangers. VCU leads the all-time series, 62-33, and has been especially dominant in recent years, winning 17 of the last 22 meetings dating back to the 2015 Atlantic 10 tournament.
48. UCLA vs. Gonzaga
It feels odd, almost wrong, to claim that a series which began in 1999 and has featured only 10 total games could be a top 50 rivalry in the sport, but here we are. Out of the 10 games that these two West Coast powerhouses have played, three of them have been among the most memorable NCAA Tournament games of the past two decades. Gonzaga owns a 7-3 advantage in the series, which will continue this season when the two teams square off on Dec. 13 in Seattle.
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47. Nebraska vs. Creighton
An in-state rivalry that has heated up in recent years due to the increasing national relevance of both programs, Nebraska dominated for decades before Creighton began returning the favor in recent years. The Bluejays have won 11 of the last 14 meetings and now lead the all-time series by a count of 30-28.
46. Kentucky vs. Duke
Just how much one side cares about the other depends on who you talk to, but there’s no question that there’s a rivalry between arguably the two biggest brands in the sport. Though just 24 games have been played between the two, the memorable moments are too numerous to list here, and so impactful that they don’t need to be. Kentucky’s upset win over the Blue Devils last November allowed them to claim a 13-11 advantage in the all-time series.
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45. Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State
The 12th most-played series in the history of college basketball, Ole Miss and Mississippi State first met on the hardwood in 1914 and have now played a total of 272 games against one another. The Bulldogs won the first game by an overwhelming score of 84-18 and lead the all-time series, 152-120. Wild fact: Despite both programs being founding members of the SEC, they’ve only squared off against one another in the league’s postseason tournament on two occasions.
44. Florida State vs. Florida
One of the streakiest rivalries in the sport, the “Sunshine Showdown” simply refuses to go back-and-forth on a year-to-year basis. The reigning national champion Gators have defeated their in-state foes in each of the last four years, a run which followed a streak of seven consecutive wins by FSU … which began after a five-year Florida winning streak. UF leads the overall series, 47-28.
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43. Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State
It may not be a conference showdown anymore, but Bedlam lives on. The Cowboys and Sooners have played at least once in every season since 1927-28, and this year’s meeting on Dec. 14 will be the 250th overall in a series that spans 117 years.
42. Louisville vs. Memphis
At its peak in the 1970s and ‘80s, few college basketball rivalries burned brighter than Louisville-Memphis State. There were on-court brawls, wars of words between the two head coaches, and even a switchblade thrown onto the court by a Tiger fan at one point. The first installment of a new six-game series between the old Metro Conference and Conference USA rivals will be played this season in Louisville.
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41. Colorado vs. Colorado State
The Rocky Mountain Showdown was first played in February of 1893, when Grover Cleveland was kicking off the second of his nonconsecutive terms as American President. While the games in recent years have been competitive and heated, Colorado has thoroughly dominated the all-time series.
40. Oregon vs. Oregon State
Please don’t call it “The Civil War” (call it The Civil War), but Oregon and Oregon State own the title of most-played series in the history of college basketball, with the in-state foes meeting on the hardwood a whopping 365 times. Oregon State leads the series, 192-173. Those 192 wins are the third-most of any college hoops program against a single opponent.
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39. Kansas vs. Iowa State
This is an unnatural rivalry that seems built on at least a dose of respect and an acknowledgment that the other side has other more established and hated foes. When you play in the same conference and meet in high-profile situations as many times as these two have in recent years, it’s impossible for those annual meetings not to blossom into something that means just a little bit more.
38. UConn vs. Syracuse
Yet another victim of conference realignment, UConn-Syracuse was one of the pre-eminent rivalries in the Big East while the two were members of the conference from 1979 to 2013. The pair have met four times since the Orange made the jump to the ACC in 2013-14, but not since 2018. Syracuse leads the all-time series, 56-39.
37. Virginia vs. Virginia Tech
The two headline schools from the Old Dominion State, Virginia and Virginia “Don’t Call Us Vah” Tech first met in 1915 and have played at least once in every year since 1922. The Cavaliers lead the all-time series, 99-61.
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36. Nevada vs. UNLV
The Battle for the Silver State is one of the more underrated rivalries West of the Mississippi. UNLV dominated the early years of the series, but Nevada has gotten its fair share of licks in over the past decade plus. The Runnin’ Rebels still lead the all-time series by a healthy margin of 65-36.
35. Montana vs. Montana State
Roll your eyes if you want, the “Brawl of the Wild” is the fifth most-played series in all of college basketball and is absolute theater each and every year. The two teams have met a whopping 310 times, with the highest-profile clash in recent years coming in the 2024 Big Sky tournament championship game.
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34. Montana vs. Montana State
Roll your eyes if you want, the “Brawl of the Wild” is the fifth most-played series in all of college basketball and is absolute theater each and every year. The two teams have met a whopping 310 times, with the highest-profile clash in recent years coming in the 2024 Big Sky tournament championship game.
33. Minnesota vs. Wisconsin
It doesn’t have the history or the bad ass trophy that the football rivalry does, but Minnesota-Wisconsin is still one of the top-tier rivalries in the Big Ten. The series has been remarkably competitive for more than a century, with Wisconsin owning a slim 105-98 all-time advantage.
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32. Providence vs. Rhode Island
The biggest rivalry in the smallest state, the Ocean State Rivalry game between Providence and Rhode Island has been played a total of 134 times since these two foes first squared off in 1935. While Rhody won the most recent meeting, Providence still leads the all-time series by a count of 75-59.
31. Michigan vs. Ohio State
Perhaps the biggest example of a “solid basketball rivalry that takes a backseat to a spectacular football rivalry,” Michigan and Ohio State have played 192 total contests since first meeting all the way back in 1909. The Buckeyes lead the all-time series, 108-84, but Michigan has won four of the last five.
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30. Villanova vs. Saint Joseph’s
Played since 1921, the “Holy War” is considered the headline game of the annual series of Big 5 games in Philadelphia. Once referred to as the “Army-Navy of basketball”by former St. Joe’s athletic director Don DiJulia, Villanova leads the all-time series, 54–27, and 42–26 as members of the Big 5. The Hawks have won back-to-back games in the series, snapping an 11-game Villanova win streak.
29. Rutgers vs. Seton Hall
The “Garden State Hardwood Classic” was first played in 1916 and has been played in every year since 1996. While there’s been talk in recent years about the rivalry losing some luster due to the lack of players from New Jersey on the two rosters, the quality of the games has definitely not taken a hit. Five of the last seven games have been decided by 7-points or fewer, with the most recent meeting being decided at the buzzer.
28. Arizona vs. Arizona State
The quintessential “big brother vs. little brother” in-state rivalry where one side claims it “isn’t a real rivalry” because of its historical one-sidedness. Arizona leads the all-time series by an overwhelming count of 163-87, but there’s no question that extreme animosity exists on both sides. Current U of L head coach Tommy Llyod is a near-perfect 8-1 against the Sun Devils, while ASU’s Bobby Hurley is just 4-17 against the team his fan base wants to beat the most.
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27. Illinois vs. Iowa
This is one of the rare border rivalries between state schools that is more fierce in basketball than it is in football. The Pearl/Thomas incident, the Coleman/McCaffery incident and the 2023 Orange Krush ticket scandal were all wild enough on their own to serve as the backbone of a super contentious rivalry. Illinois owns a 94-77 all-time advantage in the series, which will start a new chapter this season as Ben McCollum takes over for the … controversial? … Fran McCaffery in Iowa City.
26. Princeton vs. Penn
The third-oldest consecutively played rivalry in all of NCAA basketball, Princeton and Penn will, remarkably, enter the 2025-26 season with their all-time series tied at 126 wins apiece. The Tigers and Quakers are also deadlocked when it comes to Ivy League championships, with both laying claim to 26. Since 1995, a head-to-head contest has been the final regular season game for both of these two programs, which combined to win every Ivy League championship but two from 1963 through 2007.
