Interesting idea and they need data. Apparently, Rice, Tulsa, and SMU see us as their main rivals
https://twitter.com/SHPawdcast/status/970336366155522048
https://twitter.com/SHPawdcast/status/970336668401225728
I did the survey but I really find it hard to list a true rival. There is no team that I hate with a passion in our current conference. The closest to a real rival in football is Navy.
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For football, I put Rice #1, but I only gave them 40 points. Gave Texas 25, Tech 15, and then Memphis, A&M, Tulsa, and SMU 5.
For basketball, I put SMU #1 with 50, Memphis 20, Cincy 20, and then Texas 10.
It was tough to really pinpoint a true rival with all of our moving around and the constant changes in conference makeups.
I made SMU the main football rival. It may be lopsided, but I hate, HATE, losing to them. Same can be said of Rice. I put in my comments that it would be Texas, except that they stopped playing us 16 years ago.
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I don’t see any of them as “rivals”.
IMHO, we should curb stomp them in every game !
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I feel as though to be a rivalry it has to be mutual we should both really hate each other. And it should be a pretty close matchup and there should be some history.
The closest in football I would say is Tulsa. We tend to have pretty close games with them and the series between the teams is pretty close. SMU and Rice tend to be wins in our favor but it sure is fun beating them. If their trend continues, I could see Memphis being a bigger rival than the other three.
I don’t do twitter, so I didn’t do the survey. But, I would put Memphis as my #1 football rival. I rate Rice as an annoyance rather than a rival. Tulsa would come in next, then SMU. Of these schools, rival or not, the only one I come close to hating is SMU. Generally, I like having healthy rivalries sans the hate.
Navy is not a rival, they are just a conference game. I say that, because to have a real rival, you have to have a reciprocal feeling from the other team. Army will always be Navy’s #1 rival followed by Air Force and Notre Dame, though not necessarily in that order.
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The survey isn’t on twitter.
Memphish in football. I still remember that one football player of theirs that tried to WWF or guys leg on a tackle. What an ass.
The closest thing we have is Tulsa. Their fans hate us. I don’t particularly like losing to Tulsa in any sport, I don’t like losing to anyone, but Tulsa, especially when the Toad was there… there was something special when we beat them. That’s the closest, but I agree… not a true rival.
It’s one of the downfalls of all Houston sports teams. We’ve never had any true rivals in any sport long enough to ingrain it into the heart of the city. It’s always been a rivalry of the moment.
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Here is some history. A lot of people don’t know how close the series is between Tulsa and Houston. We have played them more than any other team in our history. Only Rice comes close (Tulsa by one game, but that gap is growing since Tulsa is in the AAC).
The rivalry was particularly heated during the Conference USA period, when the two teams dominated the C-USA West Division. Tulsa won the division title in 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2012, while Houston won in 2006, 2009, and 2011. SMU in 2010 was the only other team to win the title during this period.
Here are the teams we have played at least 20 times in our history and our records against them:
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Normally, it takes time to develop a rivalry and changing conferences makes it hard. So for me, the choices are those teams in the AAC now that were also in CUSA. I haven’t decided on which I’ll give points to but I’m thinking Tulsa and SMU. Memphis is a possibility but I’d like to see a few more years of close, knock down drag out games like the last three years before I call it a rivalry.
I think the coaches can help create a rivalry too. Woody Hayes helped create the Buckeye-Wolverine rivalry by voicing his candid extreme dislike for the whole state! Prior to Woody, Michigan’s biggest rival was actually ND, even though they didn’t play every year.
So if CMA starts talking about how he wants to crush so-and-so to powder during game week, then we have the beginnings of a rivalry.
Also, the students can help create a rivalry too. Does SMU have an actual mustang as a mascot? If they do, steal it ( give back at the game)! Can’t steal a “Golden Hurricane” though.
UHAA could pony up and buy some billboard time at the airport (or along I-45 from Dallas if SMU buses down) and close to our campus to remind our rivals that there is still time to just forfeit. “Tulsa, there is still time to avoid embarrassment. Take the next exit and U-turn.” “SMU, just go home. Your mothers will thank you.” Stuff like that.
These things may sound a little crazy but the idea is we can help build a rivalry, we don’t just have to sit and wait for one to spontaneously develop.
Memphis has been our greatest competitive rival so far, followed by Navy, then Cinci/SMU tied for 3rd. IMO, of course.
Games with most drama and most at stake have been with those teams since we’ve been in the AAC.
Rice is a nice in-city game, but not really a rival since it hasn’t been terribly competitive recently and Tx Tech is fun, but nothing real at stake. Screw the other Texas so-called P5.
I wish Louisville would have stayed in the AAC. I could see that turning into a potential rivalry. Do y’all think there will be a future series between the two or did UH kick them out of the cage?
I think that’s changing with the Astros & Rangers since the move to the AL West.
And really, even more so since the Harvey/Tampa incident. Astros fans have been ruthless towards anything Rangers related on Twitter.
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I still say Our Main Rivals are mostly teams not in our current conference. They are: TEXAS, TEXAS A & M, TEXAS TECH, BAYLOR, TCU, RICE, SMU, ARKANSAS, TULSA, OKLAHOMA STATE.
UCF and we’ll make a trophy… 