Closest Rivalries in Sports History
Long series where neither side has pulled away: the closest to a 50-50 record. Each team appears once. Closest of all: Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers, 118-118 after 236 meetings (NBA).
How this list works
Series with at least 50 meetings (40 in college football), ranked by how close the record is to .500 (a tie counts as half a win). Each team appears in only one row, its closest series. Every league's rows compete for the same places, ranked by the same number.
Each row links to the full matchup page, opened on that league's numbers. Think you know who leads a series? Try the rivalry quiz.
More head-to-head records
Records include games through Oct 27, 2026.
Sources
Records are computed from every final game result in the Matchup Index database. About the data.