Rivalry: noun — Definition: Competition for the same objective or for superiority in the same field (Oxford English Dictionary)
By the above definition of the word rivalry, FIU and Florida Atlantic have indeed participated in the annual Shula Bowl game 20 times.
However, right below the definition of the word lies several synonyms, which include the following: Competitiveness, competition, struggle, conflict, opposition — none of which even remotely apply the Shula Bowl’s two decades of existence.
Florida Atlantic has 15 wins over FIU since two teams first met in November of 2002 at then Pro Player Stadium.