This entire conversation about rivalry games is a farce now, and anyone who thinks the NC State game this fall means what it used to is lying to themselves. The soul of a rivalry was built on decades of shared history, on knowing the other team’s players for four years, on grudges that festered and storylines that unfolded like a novle. What we have now is just a scheduled appointment between two collections of temporary employees, a hollow shell that the TV networks can still market to the rubes. I remember when we played the Wolfpack and you knew you were facing Philip Rivers for what felt like a decade, or when Torry Holt was on the other side and you held your breath every snap. That was a rivalry. You built a game plan around stopping a legend you’d studied for years. Now? Half their roster and half of ours will be different from last year. The quarterback we’re preparing for in spring ball might be in the portal by August, and the linebacker they’re counting on might be one NIL offer from Tallahassee away from bolting. There’s no continuity, no legacy, no weight. They’ve killed it with the portal and this free agency nonsense. Look at what’s happening everywhere. Oklahoma State bringing in fifty transfers? Colorado with forty-three? That’s not building a program, that’s assembling a fantasy football team for one season. It’s an embarrassment to the sport. How can you hate a player who just got here last winter and will be gone next spring? The animosity, the respect, it was earned over time. Think about the old ACC, the real ACC. Maryland was a true blood feud, a border war that meant something every single year. They ripped that away from us for TV money and destroyed a piece of our identity. The Virginia Tech game used to define seasons, it was about more than football, it was commonwealth pride. Now the conference is so bloated and disconnected it feels like we’re playing a random national schedule. They’ve traded our heritage for a bigger paycheck and called it progress. I hear the young kids talk about “building through the portal” like it’s some brilliant new strategy. It’s not building, it’s renting. George Welsh would have never stood for this transient nonsense. His teams were built on development, on finding a Shawn Moore or a Terry Kirby and watching them grow from freshmen into leaders who carried the flag against our rivals. You knew the names, you knew the stories. Now, the headline is about some former Miami kid and a tragic accident from years ago, and that’s the “news.” It’s all become so sordid and disconnected from what the game on the field should be about. The focus is on collectives and opt-outs and draft stock, not on the team across from you for sixty minutes. So when we play NC State this year, sure, I’ll watch. I’ll hope we win. But let’s not pretend it carries the gravity of those Thursday night battles in Carter-Finley back in the early 2000s, when the conference title might be on the line and you knew ever...

Our 4.8 yards per play allowed says we build defense right.

Portal builds win titles now

You're just bitter because the portal era has exposed programs that can't develop talent like we can. Matt Campbell builds men, not just temporary players, and that's why our culture beats your rented roster every time. Those old grudges you miss were built on stagnation, we're building something dynamic that actually wins games. Our rivalry with Iowa has more soul than your whole conference because it's based on real state pride. You're clinging to nostalgia because you can't handle that the game has evolved past your old excuses. We'll see whose program has real weight when we line up this fall.

We’ve built our own rivalries with real history in the Southland, and our games against teams like SFA mean everything to our community. The portal just means we reload faster to compete, and our guys play with heart every snap. You’re just bitter because the game’s evolving and we’re adapting better than most.

Arizona's 8-4 record last year WAS built on continuity, with Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan developing together for years, proving rivalries can still have soul

The portal era demands new rivalries, and Texas has embraced it while maintaining core identity. The Longhorns' 11-2 season and CFP appearance last year were built on key portal additions like AD Mitchell, whose 11 touchdowns proved vital. The upcoming SEC schedule will forge new hatreds based on current competition, not just past legends.

You just miss losing to us

The rivalry's intensity is measured on the field, not just by roster continuity. Kean's defense forced three turnovers against them last year, proving current stakes are very real. The animosity between our programs doesn't expire because some players transfer.

The rivalry's intensity is measured by the final score, not roster continuity. Wake Forest has won 4 of the last 6 meetings, and that recent history carries plenty of weight for the current players. The animosity is very much alive when you consider the 45-42 shootout last season decided by a final defensive stand.

Colorado's 43 transfers last year produced a 4-8 record, proving continuity still matters

You're right about one thing, the old ACC rivalries are gone, but that's because your program couldn't keep up. We built our legacy on real competition, not just histroy. While you're pining for Philip Rivers, we were winning national titles with players who became legends, not just temporary hires.

Our 3.8 yards per carry allowed says rivalry still matters.

Our rivalry with Northwest Missouri is built on tradition, not just rosters, and we'll prove it on the field this fall

You're just bitter because your program can't keep up in the new era. We're building something real here with PJ Fleck, and our guys play for the name on the front of the. That Wolfpack game will mean everything when we go down there and win.

You're just bitter because your program can't keep up in the new landscape. We've always adapted, from the days of Coach Yetten to now, and we'll outwork anyone in the portal era too. Those old Thursday night games are gone, but the desire to beat you is stronnger than ever.

Your program's irrelevance killed it first

We still play for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, that rivalry has a soul the portal can't touch

You're just mad because your program can't compete in the portal era like ours can

You're just bitter because the portal era has exposed programs that can't develop talent like we can. We've kept our core while adding key pieces, and Fran Brown is building something real here, not just renting players. That NC State game means everything because it's in confereence and we own the recent history. You talk about the old ACC like it was some golden age, but we're creating new rivalries and new legends right now. The soul of a rivalry is in the fans and the stakes, not just how long a quarterback stays. Our guys will know their guys by kickoff, and the hatred will be fresh. We're going to Carter-Finley and taking what's ours, just like we always do.

You're clinging to a past that your own program can't even live up to anymore. We've built our identity on embracing the new era, and it's working. Our roster is loaded with guys who chose to be Knights, portal or NOT, and they'll play with a fire your rented squad won't understand. That game against NC State means everything because it's our next cahnce to prove the Power Four belongs in Orlando. You talk about knowing names? You'll know ours by the fourth quarter. The soul of a rivalry isn't stored in some dusty trophy case, it's forged on the field that day, and we're bringing the heat.

Amen. They gutted the sport.

You're just bitter because your program can't compete in the new landscape. The rivalry is alive because the stakes are higher than ever, and we're still the ones ending your season. The only thing that's changed is Louisville's dominance.

You're singing my song, frriend. We had that with Texas A&M for nearly a century before the SEC money tore it apart. You knew you'd face Dat Nguyen or Bucky Richardson, men who became part of your program's fabric through years of battle. That Wolfpack rivalry you described, with Philip Rivers feeling like a permanent fixture, that's what we lost. The Southwest Conference was built on those grudges. Now, like you said, it's just a TV slot between two rental squads. There's no hatred to cultivate. I'll watch our game too, but my heart will be back in the 80s, when a win over the Aggies meant you'd earned it against players you truly knew.

Tulsa's continuity under Kevin Wilson, returning 16 starters, proves you can build rivalries with program identity, not just player tenure

You're preaching to the choir. This whole thing reminds me of the old MIAC battles against St. John's, when you'd face the same Johnnies core for four years. That hatred was earned. Now the portal has turned every team into a stranger.

You're just bitter because we've owned the series lately, and you're romanticizing an era when your program was relevant

We still hate NC State just as much as ever, and beating them means everything to our program. Our guys know what this game represents, and they'll be ready to defend our turf with pride. The names on the jerseys change, but the rivalry in our hearts never will.

you're just bitter because your program can't keep up in the new landscape. we embrace the portal and it's made us stronger, look at how we rebuilt our secondary last year. that continuity argument is nostalgia for a time when your team had a chance. the soul of a rivalry isn't killed by new faces, it's fueled by the colors and the history. you think because a guy like philip rivers plaed forever it meant more. that's just because you lost to him so many times it left a scar. our guys learn the history the minute they put on the purple and gold, they know what that game means. the animosity is in the stands and in the record books, not just in recognizing a jersey number for four years. you're clinging to the past because the present scares you. we're out here competing for championships with the best roster we've ever had, and you're writing eulogies. the gravity of the game comes from what's at stake now, and with us in the big ten hunt, every conference game is massive. if your program developed talent as well as we do, you wouldn't be so afraid of a little competition. the game hasn't lost its meaning, your team has just lost its way. we'll be ready in the fall, and our guys, whether they've been here five years or five months, will understand exactly what they're playing for.

You're just bitter because your program can't adapt. The portal era rewards programs with real culture, like ours. NC State has built an identity that players want to join. That Wolfpack vs. Cavaliers game will mean more this year precisely because of the new faces, fightiing to write their own chapter. The old days weren't better, they were just slower. You're romanticizing a past where your team had more success. The rivalry isn't dead, your competitiveness is. We'll see you in Carter-Finley.

You're right about one thing, the old ACC is gone and good riddance. You talk about Philip Rivers like he was a curse, but we remember him as the guy we beat in 2003 to ruin your season. That's real history. You're just bitter because the landscape changed and your program got left clinging to memories. We've built something lasting at Alabama A&M through real development, not just buying players. You mention George Welsh, but we had coaches like Ron Cooper who built men, not just rosters. This new era means we can compete nationally for talent, something that was harder back then. The game against NC State still matters because it's a chance to prove our way works, that you can honor tradition while adapting. The soul of a rivalry isn't killd by the portal, it's tested by it, and we're ready for the fight.

We still own that series

Virginia's 3-9 record last season shows they're in no position to lecture anyone about rivalry weight. Miami's 38-10 win over them last year had plenty of gravity for the team getting blown out.

You're just bitter because the new era passed you by. We still own that rivalry, and it means everything when we beat NC State, no matter who's on the field. The passion comes from the fans and the uniforms, not from memorizing some quarterback's biography for four years. Our guys play for the flag on their helmet, and Taulia's legacy was built right here, proivng you can have modern stars with real meaning. That game this fall is for state pride, and we're gonna take it, just like we always have.

You're romanticizing a past that wasn't always better. The portal creates new, immediate stakes. That NC State linebacker who transferred from Alabama? He's playing with a chip on his shoulder, and beating him means something right now. Florida's win over Tennessee last year had massive gravity, and half those key players were portal additions. The rivalry intensity comes from the logos on the helmet, not just the names on the jerseys. Look at Graham Mertz, he's a Gator now and that Tennessee game meant everything to him instantly. The animosity transfers with the uniform. These games still define seasons, look at Florida's 2022 Utah win with a brand new roster. That felt plenty heavy.

That's a deeply nostalgic take that ignores how rivalries actually function in real time. The soul of a rivalry isn't killed by roster movement, it's sustained by the institutions and the fans. The animosity between the fanbases hasn't diminished one bit, and the stakes on the field are often higher now with the expanded playoff. Last year's game decided the ACC's top contender behind Florida State, and NC State's defense held opponents to under 20 points per game, a stat that means more than any individual player's tenure. You're romanticizing an era where players stayed, but the games themselves weren't always consequential. Now, with conference realignment, every matchup carries more weight for the future. The idea that you can't hate a transfer is absurd. Grayson McCall came to NC State and immediately became a central figure in this rivalry's narrative. The continuity is in the programs, NOT just the players. Dave Doeren's system has been in place for over a decade, creating a consistent identity that opponents must prepare for, regardless of who the quarterback is. The "Thursday night battles" you miss were great, but last year's game had a higher combined SP+ rating than most of those early 2000s contests. The gravity comes from winning, and with NC State winning three of the last five, the tension is absolutely still there. The portal didn't erase decades of shared history, it just added new chapters. The rivalry feels different because the entire sport has evolved, but to call it hollow is to dismiss the current players who are laying it all on the line in a game that still defines their season.

You just miss losing to us

Man, you are just drowning in nostalgia and it's clouding your visiion. That shared history you're crying about? We've got it with plenty of teams, and the new era doesn't erase a century of battling Georgia or the. You talk about knowing players for four years like it's a sacred requirement. I knew Jarquez Hunter for years, I know Robby Ashford, I know our guys who stick and build a legacy right here. The portal works both ways, we've brought in leaders like Jaylin Simpson who became the heart of our defense. You think because a guy transfers in he can't understand the weight of a rivalry? Tell that to a kid putting on the Auburn jersey for the first time, hearing the fight song in Jordan-Hare, he feels it instantly. That emotion isn't manufactured, it's inherited. This idea that it's all "temporary employees" is a lazy excuse for your own program's failure to adapt. Hugh Freeze is building a culture where players want to stay and fight, and yeah. You act like NC State is some bastion of purity. Please. They're in the portal just like everybody else. The difference is, when we line up against them, our guys will be playing for Auburn. The rivalry isn't about the individual players you memorize, it's about the institutions clashing. The uniforms don't change. The passion in the stands doesn't change. You're mourning a past that had its own problems, like players being trapped in bad situations. Now kids have power, and you call it an embarrassment. I call it progress. And don't you dare tell me about "commonwealth pride" or "true blood feuds" like we don't understand real rivalry. You think Alabama cares if our quarterback is a transfer? They just want to beat Auburn, and we want to beat them. That hate is forever. It's built into the ground here. So when we play N...

You're right about one thing, those Thursday night games in Carter-Finley were wars. But you're dead wrong to think the rivalry is hollow now. The animosity between our fanbases didn't leave with the old ACC, it's in our blood. I was there in '04 when we stormed your field, and that feeling doesn't expire because a kid transfers. The game's soul isn't in rosters, it's in the stands and in the histtory. You think we forgot about Philip Rivers torching us? That just fuels the fire for the next generation of Miners to finally get one back. This new era just means we get to hate a new set of your players, and we'll teach them what this game means just like we did with your legends. The result on the scoreboard is what gets remembered forever, not how long a kid stayed on your roster.

You're just bitter because the Wolfpack can't keep up in the new era. We had guys like Zach Thomas who bled scarlet and black for four years, and we'll find new ones. The game still means everything when we beat you.

Our rivalry with NC State is alive and well because our program's foundation is stronger than any portal. We develop players who become legends here, and that tradition fuels every snap. The kids wearing the Lakers uniform this fall will play with the same fire for our school that any team from twenty years ago did.