"Syracuse is our rival." SJ BB

[AlaskaSU]

it cannot be an epic rivalry unless it is equally true for both opponents. The UK / Louisville rivalry cuts to the bone. Both teams are obsessive with mutual venom. whether or not one team is down does not matter. By comparison, our rivalry with the Ville depends on the particular importance of the particular game in terms of ranking and seeding in any given year. If one team is having a down year a victory by the other will not make its season. In an epic rivalry, a bad season can be redeemed by beating the rival. That is the case between the Nation's remaining two great rivalries: Ville / Kentucky, and Duke / NC. It is not the case with the Ville and us.

We had two great rivalries. I do not see any ready replacements. The Ville, NC and Duke are already spoken for. This is why I want UCon in the ACC. It is the one serious opponent where feelings are mutual.

 

[Doc5120]

I don't understand why people get upset with this. Maybe SJU isn't our rival, but if they see us as their rival, it means we're doing something right. It means SU is a successful program that other teams really want to beat and aspire to be at their level. I'd take this as a compliment, more than anything.

 

[realorange]

SJU is still pssed off that we are New York's team. State or City!

 

[DeGrozz]

SJU is still pssed off that we are New York's team. State or City!

MSG's college team

 

[orangedave]

I agree that going forward our rival is Louisville. It has to be. I know they have their thing with UK but that is no different than our thing with GTown. It being a non-conference rivalry makes it a different animal. We started a rather nice rivalry with UL in the latter years of the Big East. We played in a couple conference championship games, we both made Final Fours, we both beat each other when the other team was ranked #1, etc. There is even some back and forth on the football side. Additionally, we are both orphans in terms of natural rivals in the ACC. Ours is sure as poop not BC or Pitt and theirs isn't ND or Clemson or whoever the heck.

I get the idea that Duke will never be our arch rival (or at least it would take decades), but that is because UNC is in the ACC. We were able to add UConn to our rival roles even though GTown was sitting right there, so things can morph, but UL fits perfectly into the rivalry mode going forward for the next 10 years or so.

But Louisville and Kentucky have been rivals forever without the need of conference affiliation. Don't see how that changes with the Cards moving to the ACC any more than it did when they were in the AAC, the Big East or Conference USA.

 

[tee1222]

MSG's college team

If we're going to speak in technicalities, it's really 8000 Utopia Parkway Jamaica, NY's team

 

[Shark58]

It's got to be UConn, right? Geographically, they're the closest program to us...we're both northeast programs...whenever there's a top recruit out of NYC, I expect SU and UConn to be chasing him.

We've had comparable amounts of success...SU with more consistency, but UConn has more than made up for it with championships. Each game between the two is an equal fight (unlike St. Johns). The fan bases seem to genuinely hate each other...none of that one-sided stuff. I know that I personally get up more for those games.

I get why some people don't want UConn in the ACC. Their football sucks and all of that. But it's kind of a shame, because if they were in the ACC, they'd be our natural rival. It would be our version of Duke-UNC.

if UCant ever makes it to the ACC, Boston College will be their big rival

 

[HoustonCuse]

But Louisville and Kentucky have been rivals forever without the need of conference affiliation. Don't see how that changes with the Cards moving to the ACC any more than it did when they were in the AAC, the Big East or Conference USA.

I think it matters, in other words there is room for more than one rivalry, especially when your primary is not in your conference. Although I see your point as well, that basically old habits die hard. In our case, UConn obviously eclipsed GTown about 20 years ago as our primary rival and yet, many people in our own fan base will vehemently disagree with that sentiment. Either way, I still wish it was UL that was our "partner" to play 2x every year in the ACC and not BC or Pizz. I have the feeling UL fans would feel the same.

 

[senorpalmer]

I think it could easily be NC State. Especially if we give them a beat down again in PNC arena this year. Oh, buy your tickets in their student area. That really ticks them off.

The thought of SU's chief rival being a perennial bubble team is not very attractive.

 

[itsbotime]

SU doesn't need to be someone's primary rival to have a great rivalry. Look at Duke/Maryland for example. Duke's arch rival is UNC, but Duke and Maryland still had a heck of a rivalry while Maryland was in the ACC.

 

[realorange]

The thought of SU's chief rival being a perennial bubble team is not very attractive.

I think they could get back to some of their glory days, but I'm not certain that Gottfried can get them there.
Their fans dislike us a great deal after we took over their arena two years ago. Their message board was very bitter after the game.

 

[senorpalmer]

I think they could get back to some of their glory days, but I'm not certain that Gottfried can get them there.
Their fans dislike us a great deal after we took over their arena two years ago. Their message board was very bitter after the game.

Been hearing that from some people about NC St for a long time, still waiting for it materialize. They are like ~30 years removed from their glory days. And it's pretty clear that Gottfried is not the guy to get them there. As for their fans, most fans of opposing programs hate SU.

 

[SaltLakeOrange]

It will always be Georgetown...

 

[Col. Bleep]

It will always be Georgetown...

RIGHT!
You can't change Arch-rivals.
Offhand I can't think of any time it's ever happened in any sport.

We're stuck with G-town.
And I LOOOOOOOAAAAAATHE them!
And I always will.
And I enjoy LOOOOOAAAAATHING them!

The next best thing to a Syracuse win is a G-town loss.
In fact, when we play Duke or UNC I imagine they're G-town.

 

[NYCSUGrad]

if UCant ever makes it to the ACC, Boston College will be their big rival

Please don't start this UCan't crap again. It irks me but they have four NCs and Ollie has the same as JB now. Let's just leave it alone until and unless we play them.

 

[Antiprodigy]

If you think SU's rival is Uconn, go back and read a little story about the last game every played in Manley. I wasn't old enough to care about basketball at that age, but it burns me just reading about it. I can only imagine what it must have been to be there live. It still amazes me that JTII lived through it.

 

[Whitey23]