Big East rivalries

The Big East Conference, founded in 1979, features many ongoing rivalries amongst its members. Most deal with the basketball teams, the main athletic focus of the conference.

In-conference rivalries

* Cincinnati Bearcats - Pittsburgh Panthers — The Paddlewheel Trophy has been created in significance of the Ohio River (which is in proximity to both schools) to the two cities. The series between the two schools is called the River City Rivalry.
* Cincinnati Bearcats - Louisville Cardinals [ [http://media.www.newsrecord.org/media/storage/paper693/news/2005/10/20/Sports/Louisville.Rivalry.Renewed-1026810.shtml Cincinnati-Louisville rivalry renewed] ] — In addition to their geographic proximity, these schools have been in the same conference (the Metro, Conference USA, and the Big East) almost continuously since 1975. Their rivalry is intense in both basketball and football. Each year, the football winner is awarded the Keg of Nails.
* Connecticut Huskies - Providence Friars - The only two New England schools in the Big East fight for New England bragging rights each year.
* Connecticut Huskies - Rutgers Scarlet Knights — A heated conference rivalry in women's basketball.
* Georgetown Hoyas - Syracuse Orange —These two basketball teams are part of a rivalry stretching back to the founding of the Big East.
* Georgetown Hoyas - St. John's Red Storm — These two schools, neither of which plays Division I FBS football (Georgetown plays in Division I FCS, and St. John's has no football program), had their basketball teams rise to prominence in the 1980s, having numerous meetings that impacted the NCAA Championship as well as the Big East title. Both teams were known for their charismatic coaches, John Thompson at Georgetown and Lou Carnesecca at St. John's. Rivalry has declined in recent years.
* Georgetown Hoyas - Villanova Wildcats [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=250150222 Georgetown vs. Villanova recap] - "This one surely added another memorable moment to the rivalry"] — These two Division I FCS football schools share an intense rivalry in basketball, stemming from Villanova's defeat of John Thompson's Hoya team in the 1985 NCAA championship game. The rivalry takes on a religious tone as Augustinian (Villanova University) versus Jesuit (Georgetown}. Jokes about the opposing orders fly back and forth during the week preceding Villanova-Georgetown. In recent years the rivalry has undergone somewhat of a revival, with both teams enjoying success in the regular season and recent NCAA tournaments
* Louisville Cardinals - Marquette Golden Eagles [ [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/luke_winn/11/14/rivals3/index.html New Rivals: Marquette-Louisville] ] — The schools have played several intense basketball games in the past 10 years that have often come down to the final shot of regulation or overtime.
* Louisville Cardinals - West Virginia Mountaineers [ [http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071108/SPORTS02/711080443 Louisville-WVU rivalry is still golden this season] ] — Became basketball rivals after a dramatic Louisville comeback ousted West Virginia from the tournament in the 2005 Elite Eight and football rivals after their 2006 showdown when both teams came into the game undefeated, with West Virginia having national title hopes.
* Marquette Golden Eagles - Pittsburgh Panthers — A burgeoning rivalry, Marquette defeated Pittsburgh in the 2003 NCAA Tournament, and played a very heated home and home series in 2006-07, with Marquette taking both games by a combined margin of seven points, including an overtime victory in Pittsburgh.
* Pittsburgh Panthers - West Virginia Mountaineers — The oldest and most bitter football rivalry in the Big East, the Backyard Brawl, also spills over onto basketball court, with exceptionally intense fan involvement.
* Providence Friars - Villanova University - The two smallest schools in the Big East Conference go at it each year with bragging rights on the line.
* Rutgers Scarlet Knights - Seton Hall Pirates — Another rivalry borne of proximity, the two schools are New Jersey's biggest in college athletics.
* Syracuse Orange - Connecticut Huskies — Primarily a men's basketball rivalry; the two teams won men's national championships in consecutive years (Syracuse in 2003 and UConn in 2004), and each game is hotly contested no matter where it takes place.
* Syracuse Orange - West Virginia Mountaineers - These two teams play for the Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy in football each season.

Rivalries with out-of-conference teams

* Cincinnati Bearcats - Xavier Musketeers (Atlantic 10): With the campuses of these two schools separated by just 3 miles, the Crosstown Shootout has earned a reputation as one of college basketball's most spirited rivalries.
* Cincinnati Bearcats - Miami (OH) RedHawks (Mid-American Conference): The oldest and 11th-longest running rivalry in NCAA Division I football. The winner is awarded the Victory Bell.
* Connecticut Huskies - UMass Minutemen (Atlantic 10): Stemming from a resurgence of UMass basketball in the mid-1990s, fans of both teams clamored for a renewal of this regional basketball rivalry. The resulting MassMutual UGame pitted the two schools in an annual contest between 1996-2006. UConn won all but one game in the new series, and the teams were unable to reach an agreement on continuing the series past 2006.
* Connecticut Huskies - Rhode Island Rams (Atlantic 10): The rivalry has been spotty in most sports ever since the fall of the old Yankee Conference and UConn's move from Division I-AA (where the schools were both members of the A-10) to I-A in football. The two teams formerly competed for the Ramnapping Trophy.
* Connecticut Huskies - Tennessee Lady Vols (SEC): This rivalry is exclusive to women's basketball, in which both schools have been among the country's most dominant programs in recent years. For a more complete discussion, see UConn-Tennessee rivalry.
* Louisville Cardinals - Kentucky Wildcats (SEC), [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6814880/ MSNBC: Best Rivalries - Kentucky vs. Louisville] ] Battle for the Bluegrass in basketball; and the Governor's Cup in football
* Louisville Cardinals - Memphis Tigers (CUSA): Both teams played in the Missouri Valley Conference, the Metro Conference, and Conference USA. They have played 85 times in men's basketball in a series dating back to 1949, and have played 40 times in football dating back to 1948.
* Marquette Golden Eagles - Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten): Just 70 miles apart, the two teams have played over 120 times in men's basketball.
* Marquette Golden Eagles - UW-Milwaukee Panthers (Horizon League): Crosstown schools have heated rivalries in every sport except men's basketball.
* Pittsburgh Panthers - Penn State Nittany Lions (Big Ten): This 96 year old rivalry, known as the Pennsylvania Classic, currently lies dormant though there is continued talk from both sides to renew the rivalry.
* Providence Friars - Rhode Island Rams (Atlantic 10): The annual Rhode Island State Championship game is played between these schools once a year.
* Providence Friars - Boston College Eagles (ACC): Former Big East Rivals are only a couple miles away from each other with both teams having among the most intense fans in New England.
* Providence Friars - Brown University Bears (Ivy League): With both schools residing in Providence only minutes away, the city of Providence bragging rights are up for grabs when these two prestigious schools face off each year.
* Providence Friars - Bryant University Bulldogs (Northeast Conference): Newly appointed Division 1 school Bryant University gives the small state of Rhode Island its 4th Division 1 school and a heated rivalry with Providence College.
* Rutgers Scarlet Knights - Princeton Tigers (Ivy League) Teams played the first college football game. Rivalry active since 1860s; currently active in all sports except football.
* South Florida Bulls - UCF Knights (Conference USA) Only 97 miles apart, the rivalry has been named The War on I-4.
* Syracuse Orange - Boston College Eagles (ACC): Former Big East rivals who had many intense battles in both football and basketball. The schools are set to renew the football rivalry in a six-year series beginning in 2010.
* Syracuse Orange - Penn State Nittany Lions (Big Ten): The two former independent football schools had a long-standing rivalry as anchors of East Coast college football. The schools are set to renew the rivalry for two years beginning in 2008.
* Villanova Wildcats - Boston College (ACC): Former Big-East foes draw from the same region of the country and hold identical prestige level. The rivalry takes on a religious tone as Augustinian (Villanova University) versus Jesuit (Boston College}.
* Villanova Wildcats - Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens (CAA): Always the last game of the season for each team and usually carries tournament implications for at least one team. Because of the close proximity of the schools (less than one hour apart) many opposing fans find their way to the games each year.
* West Virginia Mountaineers - Marshall Thundering Herd- Friends of Coal Bowl: This rivalry is between the only two Division I football schools in the state of West Virginia. The winner is awarded the Governor's Trophy.
* West Virginia Mountaineers - Maryland Terrapins (ACC): Two long time border rivals in football, the teams generally use their early season match up as a measuring stick for the rest of the season.
* West Virginia Mountaineers - Virginia Tech Hokies (ACC): The two teams stopped playing following the 2005 football season. Before 2005, the teams played for The Black Diamond Trophy.

In addition to the listed out of conference rivalries, Villanova is one of the participants in the heated five-way rivalry that has developed out of the Philadelphia Big 5 basketball series. This round-robin series is played every year between Penn, Temple, Saint Joseph's, La Salle, and Villanova.

References