The Rivalry Question

Today, a friend of mine encountered a copy of ESPN's Encyclopedia of College Basketball in the UP library. Of course, he looked up Portland to see what it had to say... Just some records stuff mostly, but it listed our fiercest rival as Gonzaga.

My question to Pilot Nation, the foremost experts of Pilot lore, is: who is our rival? Do we even have one?

I ask this because I don't believe Gonzaga is our rival. We really don't have a rivalry with them (even in basketball), because we only care about the game against them in one sport: basketball. That is only because they are a powerhouse program, not because they are our "rival." Everyone in the WCC would have a rivalry with Gonzaga then. Do we have a history of competition between us two programs in any other sport? No. No one cares for the Gonzaga game, in my opinion, in non-basketball sports any more than they do any other team.

Maybe we could evolve Gonzaga-UP into a rivalry, but I just don't agree with that statement right now. If anything is close to, and should be, our rival (once again my opinion) it's Portland State.

Thoughts?

Other sports?

UP santa Clara in women's soccer is one of the biggest rivalry in the conference.

Portland State? They tried that once a few years back and it fizzled pretty miserably... It doesn't really work when their student body is entirely composed of commuter students and, well, hipsters ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/14/the-most-hipster-colleges_n_898059.html#s308144&title=Portland_State_University ) Not exactly a stunning recipe for athletic rivalry between fans, plus they are in a completely different conference which means nothing is really on the line when we play (Well unless of course we are in the top 25 and have a total let down against them ) Our schools are just so different, and have such a different vibe, there just isn't much there other than the fact that we are in the same town.

In basketball, most despised is definitely Gonzaga. As far as rivalries go, up to the 96-97 season UP actually had a 65-58 lead in the overall series between the schools. And then they had Monson/Few while we were stuck with Chavez and Holton.... Talk about divergent paths. So up until the last 10-15 years, yeah, it was most definitely a rivalry. And then our programs went horribly different directions and they beat us 26 of the last 27 times. Ugh.

With other sports, SCU soccer is most definitely it, you could definitely make a case for Washington too.

Yeah, when Washington is good, the rivalry is great.

Gonzaga is definitely our traditional rival. I think this is due in no small part to the fact it is the only other conference school within reasonable driving distance. We haven't been competitive with them in basketball lately though and I think we've stomped them in most every other sport so the rivalry hasn't had much visibility, but oh its there, it is most definitely there and anyone who's been around longer than 10 years or so is likely feeling a little bitter about our lack of recent success against them in basketball. Sure we have wins over St. Mary's when they are top 25, but oh I would trade them for a win against the Zags any time.

I'm not sure I would call Gonzaga a rival, even in basketball. I know that most every Pilot fan would like nothing (or very few things) more than to beat GU but I don't think GU fans are any more concerned about beating us than any other team. In order for it to be a rivalry, I'd say there has to be mutual dislike and intensity.

That being said, if we continue to improve and become a thorn in the side of the Puppies, I think it could become a great rivalry.

I would argue that the only real rivalry in the WCC is the Pepperdine-LMU rivalry. I hate to say this, but maybe UP could learn from PSU cause they are essentially making themselves rivals with EMU and this whole "Dam Cup" thing.

I would like to see more interest in the UP-PSU games. I went to this year's basketball game at PSU's Stott Center and a half empty gym (that really only holds 1000) is unacceptable in my opinion. More people go to high school games than PSU games, though.

ShipstadPilot11 wrote: but I don't think GU fans are any more concerned about beating us than any other team. In order for it to be a rivalry,

That might have something to do with the high percentage of Zag fans that didn't even know how to pronounce Gonzaga before the Quentin Hall, Matt Santangelo and Casey Calvary lead squads. Hahaha and a sad percentage of that number would probably wonder who the hell Quentin Hall is.


Again as for the PSU thing, it's hard when the school is of the commuter variety and primarily "non-traditional" student body. They are the type to go home to their kids or their band, or whatever. Not go to FBS football or Big Sky basketball games. Honestly keeping the tradition helps us because it is an easy game travel and scheduling wise, but if we are going to continue to grow, without them doing the same it really isn't much of a worthwhile venture to force. If they can't get 1K fans at a school that has the largest student body in the state? Not sure that's who we want to have as a "rival."

@DaTruRochin: that's completely true. I'm not arguing for a UP-PSU rivalry. In fact, I would rather it be Gonzaga, which I realize contradicts what I said earlier (I worded that poorly, my bad). I guess what I really meant was that UP-PSU makes more sense geographically. You would think that Portland would care a little more, but it's too caught up in the Ducks, Beavers, and unfortunately the Huskies as well.

Well that probably has something to do with people having friends go to UW, OSU or UO.... I can honestly say I knew nobody that went to PSU originally (Well unless of course they dropped out of UP and decided they didn't want to leave town.) Geographically it makes perfect sense, but thats about where there commonalities end.

PilotPolo wrote:I would argue that the only real rivalry in the WCC is the Pepperdine-LMU rivalry.

I think you could make an argument for a GU-SMC rivalry, especially over the past 3-5 seasons.

DaTruRochin wrote:Well that probably has something to do with people having friends go to UW, OSU or UO.... I can honestly say I knew nobody that went to PSU originally (Well unless of course they dropped out of UP and decided they didn't want to leave town.)

*ahem* Apropos of the basketball section...