Pairs of schools, especially when they are close to each other either geographically or in their areas of specialization, establish a school rivalry with each other over the years. This rivalry can extend to both academics and athletics , the latter being typically more well-known to the general public.

Canada

• University of Western Ontario and Waterloo University

Philippines

• Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University

United Kingdom

• Cambridge and Oxford, dating back to the 13th century; see Oxbridge rivalry

United States

School rivalries are important in the United States, especially in intercollegiate sports.

• Harvard University and Yale University, early 18th century, the oldest rivalry
• University of Michigan and Ohio State University, a rivalry based originally on a territorial dispute between the States of Michigan and Ohio
• Cornell University and Harvard University, primarily an ice hockey rivalry
• Princeton University and Rutgers University, the first rivalry in intercollegiate sports, outside Harvard-Yale. (The rivalry is historical, and is today largely one-sided, with Rutgers students occasionally vandalizing property at Princeton.)
• United States Military Academy and United States Naval Academy— for their annual football game, see Army-Navy Game
• University of California, Berkeley and Stanford University—for their annual football game, see Big Game
• University of Washington and Washington State University—for their annual football game, see Apple Cup
• University of Texas at Austin and University of Oklahoma—for their annual football game, see Red River Shootout
• University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University—see Lonestar Showdown
• University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University—The Bedlam Series
• Arizona State University and University of Arizona—for their annual football game, see Territorial Cup
• University of Southern California (USC) and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
• University of Oregon and Oregon State University—for their annual football game, see Civil War
• University of Cincinnati and Xavier University—a vicious crosstown basketball rivalry (Xavier does not have a football program); the annual game between the two is called the Crosstown Shootout

Universities in the Southeastern U.S. have perhaps the most complex jumble of rivalries, almost all associated with annual football games and often having colorful nicknames:

• University of Alabama and Auburn University—the "Iron Bowl", formerly played in Birmingham, Alabama, but now played alternately in Tuscaloosa and Auburn
• University of Alabama and University of Tennessee--the Third Week of October game
• University of Arkansas and Louisiana State University--the "Golden Boot" game
• Auburn University and University of Georgia--"The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry"
• Clemson University and University of South Carolina
• Duke University and University of North Carolina, primarily a basketball rivalry
• University of Florida and Florida State University
• University of Florida and University of Georgia--"The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" in Jacksonville, Florida
• University of Florida and University of Miami--the "War Canoe" game
• University of Florida and University of Tennessee--the Third Week of September game
• University of Georgia and Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)--"Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate"
• University of Kentucky and University of Louisville--the "Governor's Cup" game in football, but even more significant as a basketball rivalry
• University of Kentucky and Indiana University, locally significant in football and nationally important in basketball
• University of Kentucky and University of Tennessee
• Louisiana State University (LSU) and University of Mississippi ("Ole Miss")
• Louisiana State University (LSU) and Tulane University--the "Battle for the Rag"
• University of Mississippi ("Ole Miss") and Mississippi State University--the "Egg Bowl"
• University of North Carolina and University of Virginia--"The South's Oldest Rivalry"
• University of Tennessee and University of Connecticut (UConn)—a nationally important rivalry in women's basketball
• University of Tennessee and Vanderbilt University

Universities in the Big Ten Conference in the Midwest have nearly as many rivalries as schools in the Southeast. In football, these rivalries are usually marked by traveling trophies, which are indicated in the list below:

• University of Michigan and Ohio State University—the best-known Big Ten rivalry nationally; no trophy
• University of Illinois and Northwestern University—Sweet Sioux Tomahawk
• University of Illinois and Ohio State University—The Illi-Buck (a statue of a turtle)
• University of Illinois and Purdue University—The Purdue Cannon
• Indiana University and Purdue University—The Old Oaken Bucket
• Indiana University and Michigan State University—The Old Brass Spittoon
• University of Iowa and University of Minnesota—Floyd of Rosedale (a bronze statue of a pig)
• University of Iowa and University of Wisconsin—Heartland Trophy (a bronze statue of a bull)
• University of Michigan and Michigan State University—Paul Bunyan Trophy
• University of Michigan and University of Minnesota—The Little Brown Jug
• Michigan State University and Pennsylvania State University ("Penn State")—The Land Grant Trophy
• University of Minnesota and Pennsylvania State University ("Penn State")—Governor's Victory Bell
• University of Minnesota and University of Wisconsin—Paul Bunyan's Axe

See also

• Academia