I can always go on Wikipedia and see who is listed as a team's rivals, but the best source of what rivalries are actually heated and/or cared about is from the fans themselves. So I ask: who do you consider your biggest rival(s)?
For me as a La Tech fan who's only been following college football the past couple of years, Southern Miss is the biggest rival to me, although most students use ULM as the punchlines of jokes. I also see ULL as a rival even though we don't play much anymore (I wish we did). And even though I wasn't around for those days, still like seeing Fresno State tank.
RE: Curiosity Question: Who's your biggest rival(s)?
We have several budding rivalries. I'd rank them in this order. No blood feuds yet, but we're getting there. It takes some time to build true rivalries
1. Western Kentucky...next door, and we've had NO success against them, although it's only been two years. Would love to call this "The Feud" in honor of Hatfield/McCoy's (WV/KY)
2. Middle Tennessee...both teams own the other at their home. Typically very competitive games.
3. Old Dominion and Charlotte...close by with lots of MU grads in their area. And this years' results will bolster both of those
RE: Curiosity Question: Who's your biggest rival(s)?
(11-16-2016 08:35 AM)mturn017 Wrote: VCU.
Nothing sticks out to me as far as football yet.
Unfortunately VCU no longer considers us a rival. Indeed we are barely relevant to them now. Judging from the overall response of members of the ODU Alumni Association to all things VCU, interest is waning on our part as well.
Had things transpired as was initially expected, ECU, because of similar profile, size, and a location just "down the road" would likely have become a natural rival, at least in football.
As things stand, we we have a history with UNCC, WKU and UAB in MBB, and with LaTech in WBB.
Although most everyone in CUSA already has an in-conference rival, there are signs, at least to me, that MBB will ultimately involve us with WKU in the long term.
Of course we have no history with anyone in football. How that evolves will be anyone's guess, but certainly Charlotte and ODU share similar noob status.
RE: Curiosity Question: Who's your biggest rival(s)?
(11-16-2016 07:52 AM)Cnelson203 Wrote: We have several budding rivalries. I'd rank them in this order. No blood feuds yet, but we're getting there. It takes some time to build true rivalries
1. Western Kentucky...next door, and we've had NO success against them, although it's only been two years. Would love to call this "The Feud" in honor of Hatfield/McCoy's (WV/KY)
2. Middle Tennessee...both teams own the other at their home. Typically very competitive games.
3. Old Dominion and Charlotte...close by with lots of MU grads in their area. And this years' results will bolster both of those
Totally agree on WKU, although we need a win in some way that embarrasses WKU (this year would be perfect) to really even out the hate, IMO. They've kicked us around the last 2 years, so we're due.
Beyond that, for me, I don't really feel any disdain towards any other CUSA program on the same level. I guess Middle Tennessee has a chance to be a rivalry, but I haven't gotten that same "I hate the other team" level from either program the last 2 or 3 years.
RE: Curiosity Question: Who's your biggest rival(s)?
Nothing against you guys, but as a mature gentleman who grew up in the days of the SWC I feel no rivalry or commonality in CUSA. UTEP may be the closest, but they need to add baseball.
RE: Curiosity Question: Who's your biggest rival(s)?
Now: Probably Davidson
Previously: Cincinnati was our biggest, and Louisville and Memphis were up there
For Cincy: In what became known as the Cincinnati Incident, a brawl broke out between Cincinnati and the Charlotte student section, when a Cincinnati player threw the basketball into the stands.... ESPN commentator Andy Katz provided this explanation on why Charlotte-Cincinnati was one of the juiciest rivalries in the country: "The games are hotly contested usually and the fans in Charlotte don't like Cincinnati. They get up for this game more than any other."
I could see ODU being a good one, and Marshall, as well.
RE: Curiosity Question: Who's your biggest rival(s)?
(11-16-2016 09:36 AM)loki_the_bubba Wrote: Nothing against you guys, but as a mature gentleman who grew up in the days of the SWC I feel no rivalry or commonality in CUSA. UTEP may be the closest, but they need to add baseball.
As another mature gentleman from the good ole days of the SWC (can you still hear Kern Tips calling a SWC football game on the radio the way I can?), I'll be glad to establish a rivalry for you with ODU. We may not get to play football all that often, but we are one up you guys right now. And with the season for that indoor game underway, and the Owls starting to get serious about roundball, maybe we can just concetrate our rivalry there for now.
RE: Curiosity Question: Who's your biggest rival(s)?
(11-16-2016 09:18 AM)ODUalum78 Wrote:
(11-16-2016 08:35 AM)mturn017 Wrote: VCU.
Nothing sticks out to me as far as football yet.
Unfortunately VCU no longer considers us a rival. Indeed we are barely relevant to them now. Judging from the overall response of members of the ODU Alumni Association to all things VCU, interest is waning on our part as well.
Had things transpired as was initially expected, ECU, because of similar profile, size, and a location just "down the road" would likely have become a natural rival, at least in football.
As things stand, we we have a history with UNCC, WKU and UAB in MBB, and with LaTech in WBB.
Although most everyone in CUSA already has an in-conference rival, there are signs, at least to me, that MBB will ultimately involve us with WKU in the long term.
Of course we have no history with anyone in football. How that evolves will be anyone's guess, but certainly Charlotte and ODU share similar noob status.
I think if ODU has a good go of it this season, the VCU game will still be a big deal. VCU fans have always split their hatred between ODU and Richmond. Right now, the lean is toward Richmond because they play them twice a season. But if ODU wins this year's game, they won't be happy campers. Unless ODU basketball disintegrates to the point where they actually deserve to be in CUSA (editor's note: ), I don't think they'll fall to the level of George Mason, which doesn't generate a lot of deep-seated hatred or contempt even though they're also a similarly sized, similarly aligned school in the 95-64 crescent.
ECU could eventually become a rival, but they're way ahead in football and baseball, we're way ahead in basketball, and there's few other sports the two share.
Charlotte should be a rival in the main sports. The Sun Belt Breakfast Club (VCU, Charlotte, UAB, WKU) have that connection and history of hoops success, so that'll make those games more interesting.
And if James Madison ever joins FBS, they immediately become a football rival.