This topic is brought up a lot, but we are closing in on Week One ... so let's get one more offseason thread in! I also feel like this answer changes for Illini Football fans as time goes by and conditions change, so let's see where we collectively stand in August 2025. People can answer however they wish, but I'll provide three categories that I'm going to use:
Hate Rankings: The college football teams you personally hate the most.
Current Rivalry Rankings: Your "semi-objective" ranking of our current rivalries. These don't have to necessarily be reciprocal from the other fan base, but they're meant to be a bit more objective than the hate rankings.
Long-Term Rivalry Forecast: The rivalries you think have the most potential over the next decade plus if Bret and Co. can keep Illini Football winning.
Here are the FOTN choices.
HATE RANKINGS ... I'm realizing my hate runs much stronger on the basketball side of things, which is to be expected given our history, I guess.
Notre Dame ... I probably don't need to explain, but Chicago Area people (who don't have an obvious/alum team to support) who bandwagon Notre Dame instead of their state flagship Illini are the worst. Don't care if you're Catholic or Irish, you're still simping for a team in INDIANA instead of one from your home state. I really don't think I would bandwagon an out-of-state German Lutheran school instead of my state team just because of my heritage.
Michigan ... In my formative years, Michigan was a lot more like current Tennessee to me than the "Michigan" most fans think of. Good, competitive, storied history, sure ... but a clear notch below the elite team(s) in their conference. However, now that they've returned to competing for National Championships, I have gotten to see their arrogance at full potential, and it's nauseating. People can call OSU fans arrogant, but it's a much more "boarish" or salt-of-the-earth excessive pride than the nasty, condescending arrogance from Michigan fans.
Missouri ... Put me in the camp that hates all things Mizzou, no matter what. I can honestly say that they are one of my teams' rivals that I have the most overall disdain for. Sure, I hate the Cardinals, but I also genuinely enjoy when they are good at the same time as the Cubs, and I obviously respect the history. I hate the Packers, but it's hard not to love Lambeau and appreciate the community orientation of that organization. I hate Indiana basketball QUITE a bit, but I respect that they at least have a (very ancient, lol) good tradition. Mizzou? I have nothing but contempt for them and their fans.
Ohio State ... As stated above, I now hate them less than Michigan ... but it's pretty easy to hate the Buckeyes, and I probably don't need to explain why.
CURRENT RIVALRY RANKINGS ... As stated above, I am trying to be "objective" or "fair" or whatever here.
Northwestern ... Sucks to admit, but we are 3-5 years of continued, sustained success away from creating other rivalries with our conference foes to solidify other, better rivalries.
Purdue ... I really have never been on the Purdue hate bandwagon (in fact, growing up I didn't mind Purdue as a perceived ally in absolutely hating Indiana), but them shattering our 2022 Big Ten West dreams (saw that travesty in person...) and the Walters drama really solidified my distaste for them. Add in a trophy game, and this one has to be here.
Missouri ... Hey, at least they are on the schedule for sure for multiple years in a row. I get some fans think this is a regional thing only important to Metro East or Southern Illinois fans, but I disagree. I was born in Peoria, grew up in Iowa City and live in Chicago ... and I get hyped for the Mizzou rivalry in any sport, especially Braggin' Rights.
LONG-TERM RIVALRY FORECAST ... I want to preface this by saying I'm trying to rank these on theoretical potential and not take scheduling limitations into account. For example, we don't know how long playing Mizzou OOC is feasible, and Big Ten schedules might limit how often we get to play Iowa.
Iowa ... Again, provided we actually got to play, this one would be bursting with potential. Our last couple games with them under Bret have been great, and the Bret connection plus natural carried-over animosity from basketball really help the intensity.
Missouri ... I think Mizzou is an incredibly natural rivalry, and with enough time we could have something approaching Braggin' Rights (though it's a shame there isn't an outdoor football stadium option in St. Louis to replicate that 50/50 crowd setup).
Northwestern ... I think this will develop into a Tennessee/Vanderbilt or Georgia/Georgia Tech dynamic for us if we keep winning. Always on the schedule for the last weekend, a game you definitely want to win (or at least not lose) but also one that takes a backseat to other rivalries.
Wisconsin ... This is my wild card pick, but I'll throw out the prediction that Wisconsin gets a solid replacement for Fickell and rebounds a bit, Minnesota (the Badgers' main rival) gets a dud replacement for PJ and eventually regresses and Illinois/Wisconsin develops into a pretty good rivalry. You have the Bielema connection, the proximity, the Bears/Packers carryover, etc.
BONUS - Teams I "Should" Theoretically Hate But Don't Mind At All
Texas A&M ... Don't get me wrong, I find their cult fans weird/annoying, and the whole literally buying an elite program with donor money thing is objectively bad for the sport, IMO. However, I also always have a soft spot for big state schools that seem to have a ton going for them and yet have never achieved the success their fans want, lol. I don't like them at all, but I don't hate them as much as your average fan.
Florida - Maybe it's the orange and blue or the uniqueness of the Swamp, but I have always kind of liked Florida. If anyone is going to be elite out of the SEC, I'll take Florida over Alabama or Tennessee any day.
LSU - Of all of the annoying SEC teams, I can't really say why, but ... I just don't hate LSU. Even with Brian Kelly being super annoying, there is something just nostalgic and likable to me about LSU, from them constantly fighting to get the same recognition/respect/status as the Alabama tier of the conference historically to the white jerseys at home to the atmosphere of Death Valley.
