This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/cfb by /u/TheMalamute on 2024-02-26 23:58:30.
Some of the most most intense sports rivalries in the world are born from or stoked by geopolitical tension or history of armed conflict. A couple examples are: Serbia/Croatia (soccer), Barcelona/Real Madrid (soccer) and India-Pakistan (cricket).Since rivalries are such a big part of what makes CFB so special, I was curious to find out which college football rivalries exist in opposing regions that also have a history of armed conflict with each other. I have a short list going and I’m trying to find more.To be clear about my criteria, there have been many ‘conflicts’ between regions that also are home to parallel football rivalries but not all of these conflicts escalated into armed conflict. The Honey War is an example: big territorial dispute between Iowa and Missouri. A rivalry has existed between Iowa State and Mizzou, but the Honey War did not come to blows (although a few honey bees did have their homes destroyed).*(For the record, violence is bad. Don’t do violence).
| Rivalry: | Washington - Oregon |
|---|---|
| Conflict: | Salmon War |
| Source: | Salmon War |
In the 1890s, Washington and Oregon fishermen fought over opposing methods of fishing on the Columbia River. Fish trappers monopolized areas favored by gill netters while gill nets were a safety hazard that caused the death of many fishermen.
| Rivalry: | UVA - University of Maryland |
|---|---|
| Conflict: | Maryland Campaign (Civil War) |
| Source: | Maryland Campaign |
This is the only one I’m including from the Civil War because it’s more specific between two states, rather than general north/south conflict.
| Rivalry: | Mizzou - University of Kansas |
|---|---|
| Conflict: | Bleeding Kansas |
| Source: | Bleeding Kansas |
Ideological dispute over the legality of slavery in the proposed state of Kansas that escalated into armed conflict between residents of Kansas and Missouri.
| Rivalry: | Michigan - Ohio State |
|---|---|
| Conflict: | Toledo War |
| Source: | Toledo War |
This one barely made the list because it barely escalated to armed conflict. Only one person was injured (on the Michigan side). Technically the football rivalry has been a larger source of violent conflict than the actual war.
| Rivalry: | BYU - Utah |
|---|---|
| Conflict: | Utah War |
| Source: | Utah War |
This is a slight stretch because this war was actually fought between the LDS/State of Deseret and the United States government but I’m counting it because UU is a public university in the United States.
| Rivarly: | Hawai’i - Air Force |
|---|---|
| Conflict: | Hawai’i Sovereignty Movement |
| Source: | Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom |
This one is also a bit of a stretch, but there has been armed conflict between Hawai’i and the United States. The Hawai’i - Air Force rivalry is the closest fit. (Many Hawaiians to this day consider Hawai’i to be illegally occupied by the United States since the overthrow of Queen Lili’uokalani).