- College football began in 1869.
- The oldest rivalry is between Yale and Princeton, which dates back to 1873.
- The oldest non-Ivy League rivalry is Lafayette and Lehigh. Lafayette holds the lead in the rivalry at 82-72-5.
College football betting is always at its best when a rivalry game happens, whether it’s Ohio State and Michigan, Alabama and Auburn, or even Army and Navy.
You can engage in football betting for rivalry games and more right now at the BetMGM online sportsbook.
I mentioned three rivalries above, but what are the oldest rivalries in the sport?
Let’s check it out.
What Are the Oldest College Football Rivalries?
| Teams | First Played |
| Yale-Princeton | 1873 |
| Yale-Harvard | 1875 |
| Princeton-Penn | 1876 |
| Princeton-Harvard | 1877 |
| Yale-Brown | 1880 |
| Harvard-Dartmouth | 1882 |
| Lafayette-Lehigh | 1884 |
| South Dakota St.-South Dakota | 1889 |
| Cornell-Columbia | 1889 |
| Penn-Cornell | 1893 |
| Harvard-Brown | 1893 |
| North Dakota-North Dakota St. | 1894 |
| Montana-Montana St. | 1897 |
| William & Mary-Richmond | 1898 |
| Dartmouth-Cornell | 1900 |
| Illinois St.-Eastern Ill. | 1901 |
| North Dakota St.-South Dakota St | 1903 |
| New Hampshire-Maine | 1903 |
| Western Ill.-Illinois St. | 1904 |
The oldest rivalry dates back to 1873, shortly after college began in 1869. It was between Yale and Princeton, two Ivy League programs. Yale has the most national championships of all time, with 18, and had them all from 1874 to 1927.
Next up is another rivalry with Yale, but this time it’s Harvard. When these teams play, it’s known as “The Game.”
YALE WINS THE INSTANT CLASSIC. @yalefootball topped Harvard in The Game by a score of 23-18. With the win, the Bulldogs secured a share of the Ivy title. 🌿🏈 pic.twitter.com/t0IVJgpYaY
— Ivy League (@IvyLeague) November 18, 2023
Lafayette and Lehigh have the oldest non-Ivy League rivalry, dating back to 1884. They’ve played nearly 160 times, with Lafayette holding the lead at 82-72-5.
Another notable rivalry includes North Carolina and Wake Forest. Both teams are located in North Carolina, and they’ve played 110 games against one another. North Carolina holds a massive lead in this rivalry at 72-36-2, with Wake Forest winning three of the first four.
Another state rivalry is Miami (OH) and Cincinnati in the “Battle of the Bell.” The first game was played in 1888.
Five of the 19 oldest rivalries began in 1900 or later, including Dartmouth and Cornell (1900), Illinois State and Eastern Illinois (1901), North Dakota State and South Dakota State (1903), New Hampshire and Maine (1903), and Western Illinois and Illinois State (1904).
