The 2024 season is going to begin a new era of college football, and potentially the end of some longtime rivalries.
In addition to the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams, the current conference structure we see right now will be vastly different next year. The first two teams that started this snowball of realignment were the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners, who are departing the Big 12 and joining the Southeastern Conference. But the ball really began to roll when the Pac-12 started to dismember. The USC Trojans, UCLA Bruins, Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies are moving their conference play to the Big Ten. Meanwhile, the Arizona Wildcats, Arizona State Sun Devils, Utah Utes and the Colorado Buffaloes will look to fill the hole left by Texas and Oklahoma in the Big 12. Lastly, the Cal Bears and Stanford Cardinal also elected to leave the Pac-12 and are joining the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The positives of these moves are pretty obvious, starting with stronger conference schedules across the board. Then you can argue it will give us the best of the best in the College Football Playoff. But there are some negatives, with one being the importance and weight of conference championships and certain situations. However, the biggest fallout on paper of the conference realignments will be annual rivalries and the uncertainty of when they will be played next. Yes, we get to see Texas and Texas A&M play again; they have not played since the Aggies joined the SEC in 2012. But the desire by Aggie and Longhorn fans for that game to take place will be multiplied across college football with the changes we will see in 2024.
Not sure what I am talking about? Check out five annual rivalry games that we are losing in 2024 (for now):
Honorable Mention: Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Michigan/Ohio State
Penn State does not have the greatest record between these two teams, but eyes were always glued to the TV when the Nittany Lions took on either the Buckeyes or Wolverines. While Penn State will still play these two teams, alternating every two years, we will no longer see Penn State versus Ohio State and Penn State versus Michigan every single season.
Texas Longhorns vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas leads series 54-18
The Longhorns gain back the Texas A&M Aggies but lose the Red Raiders when Texas joins the SEC next season. And while the Longhorns have dominated this series, it just seems like a gimme that these two teams should play every season. The Red Raiders have had their moments — including their last-second-touchdown win in 2008 and their overtime win last season. And Texas Tech will have one more chance to get a memorable win in this rivalry as the two go head-to-head on Friday in Austin; a Red Raiders win would eliminate the Longhorns from the College Football Playoff and potentially knock them out of the Big 12 title game.
UCLA Bruins vs. Cal Bears
UCLA leads series 58-34-1
While the magnitude of this rivalry has lessened over the years due to the inconsistency of UCLA and the fall-off of Cal, it is still one of the oldest rivalries in college football — as these two teams have met every year since 1934. UCLA dominated this rivalry in the 1970s and 1980s, winning 18 in a row during that time. But, for the most part, this matchup has been pretty even; since 2000, UCLA leads the new millennium series 13-10, with the teams alternating wins from 2000 to 2008. On Saturday, these two will meet with Cal's bowl hopes on the line as the nearly 90-year-old rivalry comes to a standstill in 2024.
Oregon State Beavers vs. Oregon Ducks
Oregon leads series 67-49-10
On Friday night, the Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers will meet for the 127th time in a rivalry that dates back to the late 1800s. Except for five occasions, these two teams have met every year since 1894. Oregon has taken a commanding lead of this rivalry since 2008, winning 12 of the last 15 matchups. The most disappointing thing about this rivalry being temporarily postponed is that the Beavers have been on the rise over the last two seasons, bringing an excitement to this matchup that has not been seen in quite some time. The Beavers won last year and will not only make it two in a row on Friday but also look to end the Ducks' run the both the playoffs and the Pac-12 title.
Washington Huskies vs. Washington State Cougars
Washington leads series 75-33-6
As the Washington Huskies leave the Pac-12 and the Washington Cougars stay behind, the annual meeting known as "The Apple Cup" is getting put on pause after 123 years. The Huskies have been in control for most of this rivalry, but the Cougars have had a history of pulling off upsets and getting a surprising win over the Huskies. And with Washington entering this weekend's game with an undefeated record, the Cougars not only have a chance to hand them their first blemish of 2023 but to also spoil their College Football Playoff hopes. However, the Huskies have both a conference and national title in their sights, and they are ready to give little brother one more loss before departing for the Big Ten.
Oklahoma Sooners vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma leads series 91-20-7
The final game of this rivalry for the foreseeable future has already been played this year, with the Oklahoma State Cowboys sending off the Oklahoma Sooners with a parting gift in the form of a loss. Since 1904, the Bedlam Series has been pretty one-sided, with Oklahoma dominating the majority of the series. But the Cowboys have made things interesting since 1995, getting nine of their 20 wins against the Sooners during that time. Whether it be a high-scoring affair like the Sooners' 62-52 win in 2017, the Cowboys' 38-35 overtime victory in 2014, the defensive battle we saw in Oklahoma's 12-7 win in 2000, or the 15-15 tie in 1992, this rivalry has been a part of college football history. Hopefully, it will get some future dates scheduled down the road.
