The 24 greatest rivalries in sports

Where else would one start? It’s a rivalry that has gone on for over a century. It’s also a New York and Boston rivalry. Those are two sports-loving cities, and they tend to find ways to be rivals one way or another. The Yankees and Red Sox have played in the same division and fought directly for a World Series spot multiple times. In terms of the pinnacle of this rivalry, it had to be in 2004, when the Red Sox made history in the ALCS and came back from being down three games to none to the Yankees.

This time, a Boston team had to go across the country to find its greatest rival. The Celtics and Lakers may play in opposite conferences, but back in the day, when there were fewer teams in the NBA, they saw a lot of one another. On 12 occasions the Celtics and Lakers have met in the NBA Finals. While the Celtics have won nine of those, the Lakers won the most recent matchup in 2010.

The Packers and Bears, NFC North rivals, play twice a season. All in all, they have played 210 times, which makes it the most-played matchup in NFL history. Given that they play at least twice a season (with potential playoff matchups as well), it’s basically impossible for anybody to catch them. Plus, it’s been a close rivalry as well. The Packers have the edge, but this series sits at 108-96-6 heading into the 2025 season.

When it comes to hockey, it makes sense to start with two Canadian teams. The rivalry between the Maple Leafs and Canadiens is intense. These are two of the Original Six teams, which means they have played a ton, and they are from two of the largest Canadian cities. Their fan bases are as big as any NHL team’s, and these days both are feeling pretty on edge. While the Canadiens won a Cup in 1993, this drought is long for them. The Maple Leafs, meanwhile, haven’t won since 1967. Who did they beat that year? The Canadiens, of course.

In college, players come and go, but rivalries remain. Plus, North Carolina fans will always find a Duke player (or two or 10) to hate. The opposite is also probably true. The Blue Devils and Tar Heels have a truly intense rivalry, and since the two programs are often among the best in the country, their games also tend to have a lot of stakes.

Every year, Michigan and Ohio State end the regular season by playing. The 2024 season is a fine microcosm of this rivalry and just how much it means. Michigan beat Ohio State to move to 7-5. The season was still a success because the Wolverines had beaten the Buckeyes. Meanwhile, Ohio State went on to win the title. That may have saved Ryan Day’s job, but there was still a feeling of, “Sure…but they did lose to the Wolverines.”

Both the Dodgers and Giants used to be New York teams. They had a rivalry then, but when MLB moved west, the Dodgers and Giants made the move together to keep the rivalry going. Now in different cities, Los Angeles and San Francisco have kept the rivalry heated. While the rivalry between the cities as a whole is often considered one-sided, with San Franciscans hating Los Angeles but Angelinos being apathetic to San Fran, there is one group that does feel that way: Dodgers fans.

Rivalries are at their best when both teams are good, but when a rivalry is heated enough for long enough, it can carry over. The Pistons and the Bulls have certainly had better stretches, but Detroit and Chicago remain divisional rivals. In the ‘80s and early ‘90s this rivalry was second only to the Celtics and Lakers in the NBA, though. Jordan on one side, the Bad Boys on the other. Those were some intense matchups.

In a way, everybody wants to beat “America’s Team.” Their divisional opposition have the best path toward rivalry, though. Dallas’ top rival is Philly, though. The Cowboys and Eagles have been good for long stretches of the last several decades. Dallas fans love football, and Philly fans love yelling at people and throwing stuff. It’s a great match for a rivalry.

Yes, it’s another Detroit and Chicago rivalry, but it’s another great one. Unfortunately, these two no longer play in the same conference, but the rivalry will never fully die. These two Original Six teams have had many heated matchups throughout the years. Since making the trip from one city to the other is feasible for fans, the stands are often filled with fans of both teams. That leads to many a dueling chant. “Let’s go Red Wings!/Detroit sucks!” being the most popular.

Maybe your average sports fan is not aware of this one, but college hoops fans know just how heated the Cincinnati-Xavier rivalry is. If you don’t know, Xavier is in the city of Cincinnati as well. The schools are three miles apart. Once the Bearcats and Musketeers had a bench-clearing brawl, and that game is just one heated example of how intense this rivalry is.

It doesn’t matter how these teams are doing, the pomp and circumstance of the Army-Navy rivalry is extravagant. The regular season ends with Army-Navy. It’s the only game that day year in and year out. No football rivalry gets the coverage of Army-Navy. We can only imagine what it was like when these were two of the best programs in the nation.

Milwaukee might be closer to Chicago, but for years, the Brewers played in the American League and never played the Cubs. The Cubs and Cardinals, meanwhile, first played in 1885, and they have always played in the same division. There’s so much history to these two teams, including the Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa home run battle. Sure, time (and steroids) have dimmed that a bit, but it was a great time in what has been a huge rivalry for baseball.

Here’s proof rivalries never truly die if they're heated enough. The peak of Knicks-Pacers was in the 1990s when Reggie Miller was going at it with, um, Spike Lee. However, the teams have met in the playoffs in 2013 and 2024. What was the main takeaway each time? Excitement, and a sense that “Oh baby, the rivalry is back on!” Fans of not just these teams, but the NBA in general, are always excited for a series featuring New York and Indiana.

The Ravens have only been in existence since 1996, but this rivalry has become one of the NFL’s best with speed. Playing twice a year, and frequently being among the best teams in the NFL, will make that happen. Baltimore and Pittsburgh have already played five times in the playoffs, which has helped make things more intense. Big names, bigger hits, these two are the leading lights of the AFC North, and of the AFC in general.

Hall of Famer defenseman Denis Potvin played for the Islanders from 1973 through 1988. He’s been retired for over two decades at this point. In the ‘90s, 2000s, and beyond, though, one chant has frequently been heard echoing through Madison Square Garden: “Potvin sucks!” Rangers fans are still going after an old Islanders defenseman because of a hit he made decades ago. That’s a rivalry for you.

Kentucky doesn’t have professional sports teams. Both schools are primarily hoops schools. Kentucky basketball is the biggest team in the state, and Louisville basketball is right behind them. When these two face one another, it’s like the Giants and Jets squaring off for these fan bases.

Speaking of states with no professional sports teams. Alabama and Auburn are college football blue bloods. The Crimson Tide are right up there with the Fighting Irish in terms of program legacy. Every year, the Iron Bowl is a massive game. That’s true when one of the teams are subpar, but it’s really true when both teams are in the SEC title mix. Is it a rivalry worth poisoning trees for? Maybe not…but it’s close.

Well, in some way, shape, or form, we needed to have a New York and Philadelphia rivalry in the mix. These are two cities that are nearby, have huge populations, love sports, and aren’t known for having the friendliest fans. While baseball may not have the same level of physicality/violence of other sports, that hasn’t stopped the Mets and Phillies from having one of the biggest rivalries in the National League for decades.

It’s not just that for decades these two teams have played in the same city. For years, they also played in the same arena. The Lakers and Clippers shared a home, which definitely created an intimacy to the rivalry. There was a particular flavor to this rivalry for many years, though. The Lakers are vying with the Celtics for the greatest franchise in NBA history. By and large, the Clippers were a joke of a franchise for a long time. That certainly built up the intensity for the Clippers and their fans. Every win against the Lakers was a statement.

During the Brady-and-Belichick era, sometimes it felt like “Everybody vs. the Patriots” was a rivalry. On the field, though, nothing beat the Jets versus the Patriots. Right now, both teams are trying to get back on track, but fret not. Soon enough, New England and New York will be right back at it in terms of having a rivalry with real stakes.

Only two provinces of Canada feature multiple teams. Ontario, which has the Maple Leafs and Senators, and Alberta, which gives us the Battle of Alberta every time the Oilers face the Flames. With all due respect to the Senators, they joined the NHL in the 1990s and haven’t had a ton of success. Toronto, long established, wasn’t going to get too hyped for that as a new rivalry. Meanwhile, the Oilers and the Flames have a rivalry that goes back to the 1980s, and the rivalry between Edmonton and Calgary goes back further than that.

Indiana is a basketball state, and especially a college basketball state. The Hoosiers and Boilermakers are both teams that play in the state, and they both play in the Big Ten as well. It’s also, distinctively, a basketball rivalry, one featuring two schools that care about their hoops legacy.

Here’s a rivalry that has been reborn in a major way. They call BYU versus Utah the “Holy War,” which speaks to the intensity. The Cougars and Utes used to play annually, and it was always intense. Then, scheduling got in the way. Utah was in the Pac-12, and BYU was independent. Fortunately, things got sorted out. BYU and Utah are now both in the Big 12. In that game, Utah’s athletic director got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and one Utah fan was charged with aggravated assault after hitting a BYU cheerleading coach in the head with a thrown bottle. The Holy War is back!