The 13 College Basketball Rivalries With The Tightest Records

College basketball boasts dozens of fierce rivalries between men’s teams that have spent decades battling each other on the court on a regular basis. It can be hard to refer to them as a true rivalry when one side has historically dominated, and while that’s the case with some fairly one-sided feuds, the same can’t be said for the ones with the closest records.

No college basketball rivalries feature a tighter record between the two teams involved than these

The arrival of March means college basketball fans are treated to a long-awaited dose of the Madness that accompanies the NCAA Tournament, which has the potential to spawn some matchups between rival schools that have even more incentive to win when they face off against another one that stands between them and a national championship.

I figured there was no better time to take a look at some of the most notable rivalries college basketball has to offer to try to figure out which ones boast the lowest winning percentage for the team that currently reigns supreme.

For the purpose of this list, I’m only including men’s squads that have met at least 50 times, and while I did what I could to cover the bases, there is a chance I overlooked some long-running conflicts between smaller schools that may have failed to appear on my radar.

Finally, I should note all of these records are accurate as of March 1, 2026.

13. Syracuse and Georgetown: Orange lead 54-46 (.540)

This is one of two entries featuring two schools that have faced off exactly 100 times as of this writing; Georgetown and Syracuse met for the first time in 1930 and hit the century mark when they most recently faced off in December 2024.

Each team has rattled off a six-game winning streak at some point, but it’s been a largely back-and-forth affair where Syracuse holds a slight edge. Georgetown did win their last meeting, but it’s unclear when they’ll be playing each other again when you consider there’s no future matchup in the regular season currently locked in.

12. Purdue and Illinois: Boilermakers lead 107-92 (.538)

Purdue’s primary rival may be the team that plays for Indiana’s flagship state university in Bloomington, but they also have a lengthy history with Illinois that stretches back to 1906.

The Boilermakers were recently able to boost their margin with a five-game winning streak that began in 2022, but the Fighting Illini have bounced back with back-to-back wins.

11. Oklahoma and Texas: Sooners lead 58-50 (.537)

Oklahoma and Texas are probably best known for their rivalry on the football field, but the hardwood version of what I still refer to as the Red River Shootout has also produced some drama.

It can be traced back to the 1910s and really peaked right after the 2000s rolled around. However, Texas has mostly been in control over the past couple of decades with a 27-16 record stretching back to 2005.

10. Michigan and Michigan State: Wolverines lead 105-92 (.533)

This rivalry is much more lopsided on the gridiron, as the guys in Ann Arbor boast a .657 winning percentage over their foes in Lansing in the battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy.

The Wolverines also have the edge when it comes to basketball, although the Spartans have managed to put up more of a fight in a rivalry that stretches back to 1909. Michigan State has slowly but surely been reducing its deficit since seizing control around the turn of the millennium, but it still has some work to do in order to take the lead.

9. Houston and Texas Tech: Cougars lead 33-29 (.532)

The rivalry between Texas Tech and Houston is a relatively recent once comapred to the ones I’ve mentioned so far, as the two schools played for the first time in 1961. We also have a comparatively small sample size, as they’ve “only “faced off around a little more than 60 times since then.

The Cougars and the Red Raiders have treated us to some fantastic showdowns since the start of the 2020s, and all signs point to that trend continuing now that they’re both members of the Big 12.

8. West Virginia and Pitt: Mountaineers lead 102-90 (.531)

This is another situation where the football rivalry has managed to garner more attention, but the basketball version of the Backyard Brawl has also produced some fantastic games since it was ushered in all the way back in 1906.

As is the case with the gridiron counterpart, this rivalry has lost a bit of momentum due to conference realignment, and WVU has largely been in control since that reshuffling occurred toward the start of the 2010s.

7. Villanova and Georgetown: Wildcats lead 53-47 (.530)

This is the other rivalry featuring two teams who’ve played each other exactly 100 times, and interestingly enough, Georgetown is also involved.

The Hoyas are also on the wrong side of this one, as they had the lead for the bulk of a series that kicked off in 1922 but have posted a dismal 5-25 record since 2013.

6. Oregon State and Oregon: Beavers lead 192-174 (.525)

No teams on this list (or in college basketball) have met more times than Oregon and Oregon State, who have clashed on a whopping 366 occasions since 1903.

The Beavers currently have the lead, but the Ducks have done what they can to make up the difference with an ongoing winning streak that currently sits at nine games.

5. BYU and Utah: Cougars lead 137-131 (.511)

This version of the Holy War has also been overshadowed by the one that transpires on the football field each season, but as far as I can tell, this is the only rivalry on this list where games were yanked off the schedule after someone punched a player on the other team (Utah pulled the plug for a year in 2016 for that very reason).

4. Creighton and Nebraska: Blue Jays lead 30-29 (.509)

Creighton and Nebraska played each other for the first time in 1923 and met on a fairly regular basis for the next decade or so. However, the series had a 45-year hiatus before resuming in 1977, and the two sides have met on a nearly annual basis since then.

Nebraska was initially the team to beat, but momentum eventually shifted back into Creighton’s direction. However, the Cornhuskers have won the last two games and could even things up if they’re able to extend the winning streak to three.

3. Indiana and Illinois: 96-94: Hoosiers lead 96-94 (.505)

As I mentioned above, Indiana’s primary rival is Purdue, but the Hoosiers and Boilermakers also share a common enemy in the form of Illinois.

This rivalry goes back to 1906, and Illinois was recently on top before Indiana seized control with a three-game winning streak. However,  the Fighting Illini have responded with a three-game run of their own, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see the tides turn yet again in the near future.

T-1. Princeton and Penn: Tied at 127 games (.500)

There are currently two rivalries that feature two teams with identical records, and we’re wandering into College Basketball Sickos territory thanks to the squads that are responsible.

The first one comes courtesy of the Ivy League, which Princeton and Penn have both won on 26 occasions. They’re just as evenly matched when it comes to head-to-head showdowns, as the Quakers tied the all-time series (which goes back to the start of the 1900s) up at 127 games apiece with a victory in 2026.

T-1. Belmont and Lipscomb: Tied at 76 games (.500)

We’ll cap things off with the Battle of the Boulevard. That’s the name given to the rivalry between Lipscomb and Belmont, as the road that bears the latter’s name connects the two schools that are located around three miles away from each other in Nashville, Tennessee.

The former was in control for the bulk of a series that goes back to 1953, but the Bruins have been on a tear with a 20-3 record since they kicked off what ended up being an 11-game winning streak in 2012. The Bison officially lost their edge with a defeat toward the beginning of the 2025-26 campaign, and the tables could officially turn next season.