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With the Pac-12 demise and the Big Ten Conference set to add Oregon and Washington next year, one big question is whether or not the Civil War and Apple Cup rivalry games will continue. For years, those games have become must-watch end-of-the-season matchups. However, with Oregon State and Washington State not sure where they are headed, these rivalry games might be undergoing their final chapter this year.
On the other hand, the Big Ten Conference has admitted to having an ‘ongoing conversation‘ in hopes of trying to preserve these rivalries at the end of the year, as mentioned by Big Ten chief operating officer Kerry Kenny (h/t James Crepea of The Oregonian).
“Obviously in the Big Ten we’ve had great success with rivalry weekend at the end of the season with a lot of games that have been there for many years, Michigan-Ohio State, Wisconsin-Minnesota, etc. We want to do what’s best for the collective group of our 18 schools, but we understand that we need to make sure that all of our schools are providing input into what types of local or traditional rivalries that we need to take into account as we build out what’s best for the model. It’s still an ongoing conversation, but something we want to be good partners and understand what’s important for our new institutions.”
The Oklahoma-Oklahoma State Bedlam rivalry game is another one up in the air, with the Sooners leaving for the SEC. With conferences changing at a rapid pace, rivalries such as these might be out to bed, unfortunately.
This year could be the final edition of the Apple Cup and Civil War games for some time, but the Big Ten having conversations is definitely a step in the right direction.
