Top 15 SEC College Football Rivalries

1. Alabama vs Auburn (Iron Bowl)

One of the best and most hard-fought rivalries in all of college sports is the rivalry between Auburn Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Both schools are some of the most winningest programs in the history of college football and this game often determines the winner of the SEC West title. In addition to their equally competitive and successful programs, the proximity of the two teams allows for fans to travel to the game regardless of which stadium it is being held in, making this one of the most exciting and fun games to watch in both teams schedules.

2. Florida vs Georgia

3. Auburn vs Georgia (Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry)

These two teams first met each other in 1892 and have played each other almost every year since 1915, making this the “deep south’s oldest rivalry.” The two teams have met over one hundred times with only three interruptions in the series during World War I and World War II, making this one of the most historic rivalries in all of college football.

4. Tennessee vs Alabama (Third Saturday in October)

The matchup between the University of Alabama and the University of Tennessee is dubbed the Third Saturday in October as that is when the game was traditionally played before the SEC split into Eastern and Western divisions. Fun fact: in the 1950s, the head trainer for Alabama (Jim Goostree) began handing out victory cigars when they were victorious over Tennessee and kept the tradition secret due to it being a tobacco product. In 2005, Alabama restarted the tradition publicly and self-reported the violation; every year since the winning team knowingly violates NCAA rule and reports the violation as it’s become a tradition.

5. Florida vs Florida State

The atmosphere of the Florida-Florida State game feels almost like the National Championship Game. The most important matchup between these teams was the Sugar Bowl rematch at the end of the 1996 season in which Florida avenged their only regular season loss and won their first national championship with a 52–20 win over Florida State. Both Florida teams are competing to see who is the best in the state making it the one to beat and causing Gator spirit will be at its highest!

6. Ole Miss vs Mississippi State

Every year the Bulldogs play their archrivals Ole Miss for the Golden Egg. This rivalry began when Mississippi State had to protect their goal posts with wooden chairs from Ole Miss fans. These two teams clash every year for the grand prize of being the coveted Egg Bowl victor. Ole Miss holds the edge in the all-time series 62-43-6, but the Bulldogs will look to narrow the gap when these instate rivals meet next.

7. Tennessee vs Kentucky

Kentucky and Tennessee have played each other 108 times over 114 years with Tennessee winning 75 games to 24 wins by Kentucky. Like many big college rivalries, Kentucky and Tennessee had their own trophy. a wooden beer barrel painted half blue and half orange. The trophy was awarded to the winner of the game every year from 1925 to 1997. The Barrel was introduced in 1925 by a group of former Kentucky students who wanted to create a material sign of supremacy over their rivalry. It was rolled onto the field that year with the words “Ice Water” painted on it to avoid any outcries over a beer keg symbolizing a college rivalry.

8. LSU vs Ole Miss (Magnolia Bowl)

The traditional SEC rivalry between Louisiana State University and Ole Miss is referred to as the Magnolia Bowl and is most often the second to last regular season game for both schools. Throughout the fifties and sixties, each matchup seemed to hold conference or even national title implications and the rivalry is still going strong between these two programs.

9. Tennessee vs Vanderbilt

Both of these teams have seen plenty of each other from across the sidelines. The Commodores don’t like the Volunteers, and you can bet that the Volunteers don’t like the Commodores either. These in-state rivals have been playing each other since 1892, and when the ‘Dores are in town, it’s the Volunteers’ job to kick them out.

10. Missouri vs South Carolina (Battle for Columbia)

Missouri vs. South Carolina, also known as the Battle for Columbia has developed because both schools are located in Columbia of their respective states. The winner of contests between Tigers and the Gamecocks receives the Mayors’ Cup, which the Tigers have taken home once in these school’s three meetings.

11. LSU vs Arkansas (Golden Boot Trophy)

The University of Arkansas joined the SEC in 1991 and began a yearly matchup against Louisiana State University. The winner of the game receives the Golden Boot, a gold trophy combining the shapes of Louisiana and Arkansas to create a boot. Many of the games in this series hold serious weight in each school’s season such as the 2002 game in which the winner would represent the Western Division of the SEC in the championship game. The two teams are often evenly matched athletically speaking, making this one of the more interesting games to watch.

12. Arkansas vs Ole Miss

The Razorbacks first met the Rebels in 1908 and played sporadically until 1981 when the two teams began playing annually. Ole Miss is also geographically the closest school to Arkansas in the SEC, which brings fans from both schools to the games making it a fun one to watch.

13. LSU vs Alabama

LSU and Alabama have consistently played each other since the 1960s, and many trace the origin of the rivalry to a fifteen game undefeated streak Alabama had in Tiger Stadium. The rivalry gained significant momentum in 2007 after Alabama hired former LSU head coach Nick Saban and is one of the best games to see during the season.

14. Tennessee vs Florida

The rivalry between Tennessee and Florida didn’t take off until the 1990s when the Gators and Vols fought fiercely for SEC supremacy. During the decade the two schools combined for eight conference championships with Florida holding a slight 5-3 edge regarding conference championships won. Today the rivalry isn’t quite as fierce as it was at its height, but there is still no love lost when these two teams meet.

15. Texas vs Texas A&M

You can’t call yourself a True Aggies fan if you don’t remember the numerous classics between bitter instate rivals Texas A&M and Texas. While the rivalry hasn’t been played since 2011 when the Aggies moved to the SEC, if it is ever played again then you won’t want to miss it. The rivalry began in 1915 and even spawned one of the greatest Texas A&M traditions, the Aggie Bonfire.