100 Miles of Hate

The universities, which first played each other in 1914, are separated by about 100 miles (161 km) along U.S. Route 231. For much of their football histories, they have been conference rivals in leagues such as the Ohio Valley Conference and Sun Belt Conference.^[5] The rivalry was on hiatus from 1991 to 2007, resuming after Western Kentucky transitioned to Football Bowl Subdivision play and became a football member of the Sun Belt Conference in 2009 (Western Kentucky had been a non-football member of that conference since 1982). After Middle Tennessee left the Sun Belt for Conference USA (CUSA) in 2013, the rivalry again went on hiatus.^[6] However, the rivalry was renewed in 2014 when Western Kentucky joined CUSA. The match up usually generates a substantial amount of excitement within the respective fan bases, and tensions are usually high in every meeting.^[7]

• List of NCAA college football rivalry games