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List of most-played college football series in NCAA Division I

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This is a list of the most-played college football series in NCAA Division I. The Lafayette–Lehigh rivalry, known as "The Rivalry," is the most-played in Division I at 159 games. Lehigh and Lafayette are members of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The most-played Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) series is the Minnesota–Wisconsin football rivalry, at 134 games. In some cases, during the early years of college football when distant travel was prohibitive, these teams played each other more than once per year.

Series listed here are not necessarily continuous series, and several of the series listed below were ended (or interrupted) by either the World Wars, the 2010–2014 NCAA conference realignment, the COVID-19 pandemic, or the 2021–2026 NCAA conference realignment. It also includes several games that are not considered notable rivalries, but are between teams that, mainly due to conference alignment, have been played 100 or more times. Conference affiliation is not necessarily an impediment to playing an annual game, and this list features match-ups of teams that have rarely or never shared an athletic conference.

This table is for listing all NCAA Division I football series with at least 100 games played. Wins and losses are given respective to the team leading the series.

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Games

  • Updated through October 4, 2025
  • The "V" column indicates vacated victories to make sure all the games are documented in the list - W+L+T+V=Total. A note documenting each vacated game is included in the "V" column. Vacated victories are different than forfeited victories. In recent years[citation needed], the NCAA has used the vacating procedure instead of requiring forfeitures when teams are penalized for violating NCAA rules. NCAA procedures require that the winning team adjust its record to remove a win that is vacated. However, the losing team is not allowed to reduce the number of losses on its record.[1] This means that the win–loss–tie records for some series will not add up to the total number of games without adding the vacated games in the V column. Confounding this problem[citation needed] is that the NCAA's official record of the most played rivalries, does not reflect the vacated games. Also, to be officially correct, the two media guides of the teams will not match[citation needed] since the team that lost a vacated game is not allowed to reduce the number of losses.
More information Games, Series leader ...
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See also

Notes

  1. [a]
    Most-played rivalry within the Ivy League.
  2. [b]
    The NCAA incorrectly lists the record as 78–60–8 in its 2020 FCS record book
  3. [c]
    Formerly an in-conference rivalry.
  4. [d]
    Most-played rivalry within the Big Ten Conference.
  5. [e]
    Became the longest uninterrupted series in FBS history in 2012 – continuous since 1907 – supplanting the Kansas–Nebraska series.
  6. [f]
    If "uninterrupted" is interpreted as having been played in every calendar year, this became the longest uninterrupted series in all college football history in 2020 – continuous since 1907 – supplanting the Lafayette–Lehigh series. However, the Lafayette–Lehigh series has been played in each football season since 1897, with both schools' home conference of the Patriot League having moved its fall 2020 season to spring 2021.
  7. [g]
    Most-played rivalry within the Southeastern Conference.
  8. [h]
    Most-played rivalry within the Atlantic Coast Conference.
  9. [i]
    Disputed series record: North Carolina forfeited their win in 1956 (or 1957) but there was no NCAA sanction.
  10. [j]
    Rivalry includes more than the 2 teams listed - see the linked article for further information.
  11. [k]
    Most-played rivalry that is currently non-conference.
  12. [l]
    Despite both Army and Navy being part of the American Athletic Conference, their rivalry remains a non-conference game played after the AAC championship.
  13. [m]
    Most-played rivalry between FBS teams outside the power conferences.
  14. [n]
    Montana vacated its last five wins of the 2011 season due to NCAA violations. This included a regular season win over Montana State.
  15. [o]
    Most-played rivalry within the Big 12 Conference.
  16. [p]
    Disputed series record: Kansas State claims Kansas leads the series lead 63–53–5, based on a game that the Big Eight conference ruled Kansas had to vacate in 1980. Kansas claims a very narrow interpretation of NCAA statistical guidelines that don't reference games that conference committees vacate. The NCAA did not act on the 1980 vacation.
  17. [q]
    This series includes the following adjustments: 1976 & 1977 games were forfeited by Mississippi State, 2012 & 2014 games were vacated by Ole Miss,[15] and 2018 game was vacated by Mississippi State.[16]
  18. [r]
    Kansas forfeited 1960 win.
  19. [s]
    Vacated game per source[23]
  20. [t]
    Ohio State vacated all of its wins during the 2010 season due to NCAA violations. This included a win over Michigan.
  21. [u]
    Disputed series record: Vanderbilt records show that Tennessee has 78–33–5 series lead due, including Vanderbilt's 1918 victory. Tennessee records do not count games played in 1918 since the team was "unofficial [team] formed from Army West Point recruits and students."
  22. [v]
    Vacated game per source[26]
  23. [w]
    No future games are scheduled.
  24. [x]
    Some sources claim that Oklahoma forfeited the 1972 game. OU Forfeit 8 games in 1972 This is not included in the NCAA source.
  25. [y]
    This series includes the following adjustments: 1975 & 1976 games were forfeited by Mississippi State, and 2012, 2013 & 2015 games were vacated by LSU.[31]
  26. [z]
    Most-played rivalry within the Mountain West Conference.
  27. [aa]
    Most-played conference rivalry between FBS teams outside the power conferences.
  28. [ab]
    Colorado State does treats the 1899 game, which it later forfeited after a 12–0 victory, like a vacated game, and removes one victory from its win column, while not increasing the number of wins it credits to Wyoming.
  29. [ac]
    2013 win by Ole Miss vacated and 2012 and 2014 wins by LSU vacated.[31][15]
  30. [ad]
    Baylor forfeited their tied game in 1910, giving a win to Texas.
  31. [ae]
    Baylor media guide has mistake in 2023 showing the overall record as 79-29-4 at the top of the series record, but correctly showing the breakdown of the record at Waco and Austin adding to 80-28-4.
  32. [af]
    California vacated their 1999 win for use of ineligible players. USC vacated their 2005 win after the Reggie Bush scandal.
  33. [ag]
    Both schools claim to have won their 1889 game by forfeit, but most[citation needed] neutral recordkeepers[citation needed] list a win for North Carolina. Duke media information still counts the game as a win. North Carolina vacated their wins in the 2008 and 2009 due to the 2010 football scandal.[53]
  34. [ah]
    This series includes the following adjustments: 1993 game forfeited by Alabama,[62] and 2005 game vacated by Alabama.[63]
  35. [ai]
    Mississippi State has an extra loss in its "versus all opponents" section compared to the record shown in this list.
  36. [aj]
    Alabama vacated its 2005 win against Tennessee, meaning a win is deducted from Alabama total. Alabama also forfeited its 1993 tie, which changes that game from a tie to a win for Tennessee.
  37. [ak]
    The schools differ on the series record. Iowa State's media guide has a 1907 victory over Nebraska on November 2, 1907, but the Chicago Tribune and Des Moines Register both cite a 10–9 Nebraska victory.[84][85]
  38. [al]
    Ohio State vacated all of its wins during the 2010 season due to NCAA violations. This included a win over Illinois.
  39. [am]
    USC vacated their 2005 win after the Reggie Bush scandal.
  40. [an]
    Washington 2023 media guide documents 102 games, but the number of wins doesn't match the number of games documented.
  41. [ao]
    Georgia recognizes a 1904 game as its first game against Florida, thus according to Georgia there have been 103 games of which Georgia has won 57.
  42. [ap]
    Disputed series record: BYU does not recognize 6 games played before 1922 (3 wins for each school).
  43. [aq]
    The 1978 and 1979 games were both forfeited by Oregon, giving two wins for Washington State.
  44. [ar]
    Most-played rivalry between two HBCU's
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References

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