Why Does Michigan not Have a Major Pro Sports Rivalry With Ohio?

There are few states that have a rivalry to match Michigan and Ohio. After all, not many states went to war with each other the way the Wolverine state and Buckeye state fought over Toledo.

That rivalry is seen on the college football field as the annual match up between the University of Michigan and The Ohio State University is referred to simply as The Game.

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But what about in the world of pro sports? Why is there no particularly heated contests between Detroit and the Ohio-based NFL teams? And what about any rivalries between the two states in any other pro sports?

The question came up recently as a discussion on the r/NFLNoobs subreddit.

Detroit vs Ohio NFL Rivalries

The simple explanation of the lack of a rivalry between the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns or Cincinnati Bengals is that they play in different conferences. The Lions are in the NFC while both Ohio teams play in the AFC. With the way NFL schedules are built, the teams don't meet enough for much of a rivalry feel to develop.

One historically minded fan shares that the Lions and Browns once played an annual preseason exhibition matchup that was a trophy game the 'Great Lakes Classic' that featured a heavy laker boat as a travelling trophy.

Add another historical note that makes the concept of a Lions rivalry with an Ohio team intriguing - the Lions began their journey in pro football as the Portsmouth Spartans representing the tiny Ohio River city in Southern Ohio. Any game with an Ohio team isn't just a neighborly tilt - it's a homecoming.

Detroit vs Ohio Rivalries in Baseball

Without a doubt the most played Michigan-Ohio rivalry series is with the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians. The two teams have played (as of the end of the 2024 season) as astounding 2326 games against each other with Detroit holding a 4 game advantage - the historical series is nearly evenly split 1159-1154 with 12 ties. The rivalry dates back to 1901 but the Cleveland team's history with Michigan goes back even further. The Guardians trace their baseball lineage to the 1894 Grand Rapids Rustlers.. Fair to say this is the best Ohio-Michigan pro sports rivalry.

The flip side of the coin happens in Toledo. While the two states went to war over the city and the area around the Maumee, today there is a solid fondness and connection as Toledo is home to the Mud Hens the long-running minor league AAA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.

As for the Tigers and Cincinnati Reds, because they play in different leagues, there's little history save for the 1940 World Series which saw the Red win 4 games to 3.

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Detroit vs Ohio Rivalries in Basketball and Hockey

How much of a rivalry is there between the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers? Not much, but a few playoff series of note according to Cavaliers focus site Fear the Sword. The two teams faced each other several times at the dawn of LeBron James's career.

History between the Cavs and Pistons may be small in the relativity of both franchises entire history, but for the early parts of both LeBron's career as well as those who are young enough to not remember any other Cavs playoff performances, the playoff rivalry between the Cavs and the Pistons in the mid-2000s were vital part of Cavs history.

And on ice, the Detroit Red Wings are an original NHL franchise while the Columbus Blue Jackets, a 2000 expansion team, is among the youngest. The teams have played in one playoff series this century but do hope to have some of that Michigan-Ohio rivalry magic as the two teams are slated for a 2025 edition of the NHL Stadium Series which features games in iconic baseball and football fields. The Red Wings and Blue Jackets are slated for a March 1 game at Ohio Stadium, the home of the Ohio State Buckeyes.

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