A rivalry game by any other name is still just a game. Whether it’s gussied up with an inspiring title, like “The Big Game,” “The Civil War” or, in the case of Colorado-Utah, “The Rumble in the Rockies,” a rivalry is only as good as what the teams are playing for.
It’s not the name that makes the rivalry. It’s the history. It’s the high stakes. It’s a standing annual date that’s coated with contempt. Colorado and Utah have the annual date part down. But when it comes to calling this matchup a rivalry, we’re a long ways off.