Rivalries in sports create an energy and passion that fans worldwide revel in. The emotion, adrenaline, and excitement all reflect on the outcome of the games. During these showdowns, friends become enemies and debates become ongoing.

Rivalry matchups will catch the eyes of fans and have those fans want to go and watch that team, or even pull it up on the TV if they have to watch from home. 

“The games never disappoint to bring the best out of the other team and its fan bases,” Athletic Director Daniel Barrett wrote in an email. “The two teams never disappoint.”

Some football rivalries have been recently established due to the consistency of close games by two playoff contenders. On the other hand, some rivalries have been established in tradition and pageantry, such as Virginia and Virginia Tech. This is due to the fact that they are built upon the contributions of past generations. The annual “Army-Navy game” is one of the most historic rivalries that dates back to 1890, making this year’s game the 134th meeting between the teams.

“I think Army-Navy is the best football rivalry because it represents the strength and competitiveness of our American armed forces,” senior George Albertson said. “It has such a cool impact on me because my family members have been serving in both of the branches, past and present.”

On the second Saturday of December, Army and Navy are the only two teams to have a game, which symbolizes the completion of the regular season. This year, the game is being played at FedEx Field which is home to the Washington Commanders. It makes the game special because they play in an (National Football League) stadium to watch the military academies play. NFL stadiums typically are larger in capacity than most college stadiums which is why it is special that these stadiums are full for this big game.

“It has an exhilarating impact on the sports world as [this game] has a week to itself,” Albertson said. “Watching a rivalry like this is exciting as it is one I believe almost everyone in America can relate to.”

Another football rivalry that has a lot of history behind it is the matchup between the Washington Commanders and the Dallas Cowboys. These two teams are division rivals and face off twice a year. As a fan of the Cowboys, this is always a game I look forward to watching because it is energetic and intense. With the Dallas Cowboys being considered “America’s team,” nothing else will draw football fans’ attention more than the Cowboys playing a division rival.

“Coaches, players, and fans all hated each other,” teacher James Stickley said. “I hated Dallas and still do because I am a Washington fan.”

Although football rivalries are exciting, there are a lot of fans around the world who enjoy watching basketball rivalries as well. These rivalries are more common in college rather than the NBA (National Basketball Association).This is because these teams’ universities are close to each other geographically or these schools have very different student bodies that focus on different academic approaches creating diverse and differing fan bases. College basketball has one of the most anticipated rivalries every year in the sports world, consisting of Duke and North Carolina.

“As a UNC fan, I make sure I never miss a Duke and UNC game because I know that I am going to usually see a top 20 matchup between the teams that will have an impact on the postseason,” Barrett wrote. “The geographical location of these teams are only 11 miles apart from Durham to Chapel Hill.”

According to Duke Basketball, North Carolina leads the all-time series between the two teams with a record of 85-66. According to The Fayetteville Observer Duke and UNC were 57-57 in their previous 114 matchups before they faced off in the 2024 season. During this past season, UNC defeated Duke with scores of 93-84 and 84-79.

“You are pretty much guaranteed a great game between two great programs that have demonstrated love, passion, and a little bit of dislike for the other team,” Barrett wrote. “I believe that the two times these teams meet during the regular season, they are better games than most tournament games. I may miss some of the NCAA tournament, but I make sure to never miss a Duke vs. UNC game.”

I think that the best rivalry in sports is the New York Yankees vs. the Boston Red Sox. According to Bleacher Report, the Yankees and Red Sox had played for a couple of decades before the rivalry on the field actually started in 1938. I like watching the rivalry between those teams because they have a crazy history behind it and there are a lot of matchups where the energy and emotions are high. The teams have met in the playoffs multiple times and that is what makes the rivalry even better, where they are both fighting to keep their seasons alive in the same game.

“The two clubs have been going at it for two centuries, and the sheer amount of history contained within the rivalry would make for a great college course,” Bleacher Report said.