Week 14 of the college football season consists of some of the most exhilarating of the entire season. Rivalries. From “The Game”, to the Iron Bowl, to the Lone Star Showdown, rivalries are what bring people together. Neighbors, coworkers, and even complete strangers bond over their shared passion for teams. Players dream of beating their greatest rival in their home stadium with millions of fans watching. But when the rivalries turn ugly, they destroy the very thing that makes college football special; it’s ability to unite people through a shared love for the game.
In recent years, the passion surrounding college football rivalries has often crossed the line from light spirited competition to toxic behavior. When passion turns into bitterness, it undermines the very spirit of the sport.
Social media is a big factor in creating a toxic environment for any sport, and especially college football. Harmless banter has evolved into online harassment of players, coaches, and even their families.
The issue isn’t only in social media. Stadiums and tailgating areas have become breeding grounds for ugly conflicts. Verbal altercations most often escalate into physical fights, creating an environment that can be tense, especially for families or neutral fans. While rivalry games are meant to be thrilling, the atmosphere should never make the viewers feel unsafe.
During this season’s Michigan and Ohio State game, Michigan players attempted to plant their school’s flag on the middle of Ohio Stadium’s field. This led to an enormous brawl to break out. After a few minutes, security and police broke the players up, but with the use of pepper spray to multiple players. This raises a question: when did rivalries stop being about the game and start being about tearing people down?
While the Michigan and Ohio State rivalry has been regarded as the best in all of sports, the brawl that broke out at the end of the game this past weekend dishonored the rivalry completely, as it shows lack of respect for both teams.
College football players are still young adults, many of them barely out of high school. Yet they’re often subjected to an intense level of scrutiny. Rival fans feel justified in hurling insults at these athletes, forgetting that they’re students, not professionals. Death threats over missed field goals or bad performances have become alarmingly common.
This hostility doesn’t stop at the players. Coaches and their families frequently face harassment, sometimes forcing them to take extraordinary security measures.
Many fans defend over-the-top behavior as part of the rivalry tradition, claiming it adds to the spectacle of college football. There’s certainly a fine line between passionate support and inappropriate actions. For example, a prank like painting a rival’s statue or mascot is often viewed as harmless fun. But when those pranks turn into violence, they’re no longer acceptable.
The problem isn’t just about isolated incidents—it’s about a culture that normalizes aggression in the name of school pride. Rivalries should inspire togetherness, not division, and they should celebrate the spirit of competition without destructive behavior.
Universities should be held accountable too, as it’s mostly their students creating toxic environments for players and other fans.
Rivalries are an essential part of what makes college football great. They add drama, excitement, and tradition to the sport. But when the passion becomes toxic, it becomes time to reevaluate the way fans go about cheering on their favorite team. Fans, schools, and media outlets all have a role to play in ensuring that the competitive spirit doesn’t overshadow the values of respect and community that should define college athletics.