Texas Tech vs. Texas. University of Miami vs. Florida State. ULCA vs. Southern California. University of Alberta vs. University of Calgary.

These rivalries are some of the best college rivalries in sports today. Intense, close and passionate, they define what college sports can be at their best.

You can add another rivalry to that list. The University of Winnipeg Wesmen vs. the University of Manitoba Bisons. Whenever these two teams meet in both volleyball and basketball, it’s always passionate, colourful and tense.

It’s inner city vs. south end. Small school vs. big school. It’s one of the few rivalries in Canadian university sports where two universities in the same city often play against each other in two different sports.

“ We’re close enough so that every game is in doubt.

Bruce Parney, Bisons and Wesmen fan

Rick Flett, a University of Manitoba fan and father of a Bisons women’s basketball team member, agrees it’s something special.

“This is one of the rare cities, we have two universities in the same city, so that’s why it’s such a rivalry, I believe. Other provinces, their cities are spread out a bit more,” said Flett.

Bruce Parney, a fan who has ties to both U of M and U of W, loves the passion of the rivalry and wishes there could be more like it across Canada.

“I enjoy it thoroughly. My daughter played five years for the Wesmen and I coached and still do track at the University of Manitoba, so I love it. I think it’s just great. We need more rivalries like that in sport… I mean, we’re close enough so that every game is in doubt,” said Parney.

Parney’s words echoed what happened in the two most recent encounters between the Winnipeg rivals.

On Jan. 4 at the Duckworth Centre, the Wesmen women’s basketball team defeated the Bisons 74-62. The Wesmen men weren’t as fortunate, losing to the Bisons 69-55.

On Jan. 5 in the return clash, both the Wesmen teams were victorious. The Wesmen women defeated the Bisons 71-59, while the men won 77-68.

The Wesmen women are currently second in the Great Plains Division with an 8-4 record, behind Regina, which is 9-3. The Wesmen men are last in the Great Plains Division with a 3-9 record; however, they are only one game behind the third place Bisons, who sit in the last playoff spot at 4-8.

Published in Volume 63, Number 16 of The Uniter (January 15, 2009)