The college football slate is dominated by rivalries that stem back from generation to generation. Some of these rivalry games have been played annually for decades, even centuries now.
You don’t want to miss these longest continuous college football rivalries.
Longest Continuous College Football Rivalries
Listed below are the longest continuous college football rivalries and their coinciding matchup details.
MORE: List of College Football Rivalry Games
The Rivalry
Teams: Lehigh vs. Lafayette
Division: FCS
First Meeting: 1884
Continuous Since: 1897
All-Time Record: Lafayette leads 81-72-5
Paul Bunyan’s Axe
Teams: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1890
Continuous Since: 1907
All-Time Record: Wisconsin leads 45-27-3
NC State-Wake Forest Rivalry
Teams: NC State vs. Wake Forest
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1895
Continuous Since: 1910
All-Time Record: NC State leads 68-42-6
Bedlam Series
Teams: Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1904
Continuous Since: 1910
All-Time Record: Oklahoma leads 91-19-7
Sunflower Showdown
Teams: Kansas vs. Kansas State
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1902
Continuous Since: 1911
All-Time Record: Kansas leads 64-51-5
Farmageddon
Teams: Iowa State vs. Kansas State
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1917
Continuous Since: 1917
All-Time Record: Iowa State leads 52-50-4
South’s Oldest Rivalry
Teams: North Carolina vs. Virginia
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1892
Continuous Since: 1919
All-Time Record: North Carolina leads 65-59-4
Longest Interrupted College Football Rivalries
These rivalry games had reached epic streaks before being interrupted for various reasons.
Clemson-South Carolina
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1896
Continuous Years: 1909-2019
Length: 111 years
Reason: COVID-19
Wabash-DePauw (Monon Bell)
Division: Division III
First Meeting: 1890
Continuous Years: 1911-2019
Length: 109 years
Reason: COVID-19
Nebraska-Kansas
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1892
Continuous Years: 1902-2010
Length: 105 years
Reason: Nebraska moved to the Big Ten
Michigan-Ohio State (The Game)
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1897
Continuous Years: 1918-2019
Length: 102 years
Reason: COVID-19
Dartmouth-Cornell
Division: FCS
First Meeting: 1900
Continuous Years: 1919-2019
Length: 101 years
Reason: COVID-19
Penn-Cornell
Division: FCS
First Meeting: 1893
Continuous Years: 1919-2019
Length: 101 years
Reason: COVID-19
Purdue-Indiana (Old Oaken Bucket)
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1891
Continuous Years: 1920-2019
Length: 100 years
Reason: COVID-19
Texas-Texas A&M (Lone Star Showdown)
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1894
Continuous Years: 1915-2011
Length: 97 years
Reason: Texas A&M moved to the SEC
Oklahoma-Kansas
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1903
Continuous Years: 1903-1997
Length: 95 years
Reason: Big 12 Divisions were created (resumed annually in 2011)
Missouri-Kansas (Border War)
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1891
Continuous Years: 1919-2011
Length: 93 years
Reason: Missouri moved to the SEC
Missouri-Iowa State (Telephone Trophy)
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1896
Continuous Years: 1919-2011
Length: 93 years
Reason: Missouri moved to the SEC
Nebraska-Iowa State
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1896
Continuous Years: 1921-2010
Length: 90 years
Reason: Nebraska moved to the Big Ten
Nebraska-Kansas State
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1911
Continuous Years: 1922-2010
Length: 89 years
Reason: Nebraska moved to the Big Ten
Ohio State-Illinois (Illibuck Trophy)
Division: FBS
First Meeting: 1902
Continuous Years: 1914-2022
Length: 89 years
Reason: Big Ten’s non-round robin scheduling began
Presbyterian-Newberry (The Bronze Derby)
Division: Division II
First Meeting: 1913
Continuous Years: 1919-2006
Length: 88 years
Reason: Presbyterian moved to Division I