Indiana Hoosiers - Rivalries

Rivalries

Purdue

The Hoosiers' biggest traditional rival is the Purdue Boilermakers. The West Lafayette (Purdue) and Bloomington (IU) campuses are the largest in the state of Indiana and are flagship campuses of the Purdue University and Indiana University systems respectively. IU and Purdue have competed for the Old Oaken Bucket in football since 1925, a series which Purdue leads 70–36–6. In basketball, IU's 20 Big Ten Championships are second only to Purdue's 22. The Boilermakers also lead the men's basketball series 110–84. Since the 2001–02 year, IU and Purdue have also competed for an all-sports trophy called the Crimson and Gold Cup. IU leads the series 5–3–2.

Kentucky

IU also has a heated border rivalry with the Kentucky Wildcats. The annual basketball game between the two often carries national significance as they have combined for 13 national championships. Since 1991, the game has rotated between neutral sites in Indianapolis and Louisville. This neutrality ended during 2006 when the game was played at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky with the 2007 game played at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana. Basketball games between the Hoosiers and Wildcats have at times drawn over 30,000 fans. Although the two teams had played every season since 1969, a dispute over whether future games should be played at the schools' respective home courts or at nearby neutral sites led to the cancellation of the game for the 2012-13 season.

Illinois

After Purdue, one of the Hoosiers' biggest conference rivals are the Illinois Fighting Illini. The rivalry is particularly strong with the Illinois basketball team. Indiana leads the all-time series on the hardwood 84–83. The rivalry has lasted through the ages, from Lou Henson and Bob Knight publicly feuding, to Kelvin Sampson and Bruce Weber's heated interaction in recent years.

Michigan State

Indiana has a rivalry with Michigan State Spartans which started in 1950. They battle for the Old Brass Spittoon in football. Michigan State is leading 40–12–1 with Michigan State winning the last two years.