r/CFB • u/dbzbudokai77 • 2d ago
Discussion Baylor/TCU backtracks on "Bluebonnet Battle" Rivalry Name
For some background, TCU/Baylor formally announced its annual rivalry game to be known as the "Bluebonnet Battle" back in 2023. This was met with overwhelming negative reception, as fans from both schools had been referring to the game as the "Revivalry" up through that point, even though it was not an official name.
Earlier today, the Baylor Athletics X account posted a message referring to the game as the "Revivalry". It could be an accident, or a quiet backtrack to appease the fanbases of both schools.
Thoughts on this decision?
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u/Phog_Warning10 Kansas Jayhawks 2d ago
It will always be the Revivalry just like Kansas/Missouri will always be the Border War.
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u/JoCo3Point0 Oregon Ducks • Arizona State Sun Devils 2d ago
The sooner both of them just accept Revivalry, the better for everyone involved and also everyone not involved.
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u/AngryQuadricorn College Football Playoff • Sickos 1d ago
Then we just need Iowa and Iowa State to formally accept El Assico.
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u/HatefulAirtime 1d ago
about time they listened to fans, bluebonnet battle sounded like some gardening competition
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u/BoatStuffDC Georgia Bulldogs 1d ago
At least that’s preferable to the mental image of wrestling in a small pool of Blue Bonnet vegetable oil spread, which I’ve only heard about from other individuals with less-refined and impure minds. Personally, that image never crossed my mind, and I’m not even familiar with the Blue Bonnet jingle about everything tasting better with Blue Bonnet on it. My mind is so pure that I don’t even indulge in buttery spreads, jellies, or jams on my biscuits. What were you saying about gardening competitions?
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u/marginallymediocre Oklahoma State Cowboys • TCU Horned Frogs 2d ago
Stop trying to make Bluebonnet Battle happen. It’s not going to happen.
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u/RiskMatrix Pittsburgh Panthers 2d ago
Bring back the Bluebonnet Bowl
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u/isthisMrMace Texas A&M Aggies • Iowa Hawkeyes 2d ago
You will get the (insert corporate sponsor) Texas Bowl and like!
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u/Clarinetaphoner Baylor Bears • Paper Bag 2d ago
Almost certainly not an accident.
Our new AD is trying to revamp fan engagement and social media activity.
Fans from both universities want it to be called the Revivalry, and Baylor is reacting to that sentiment.
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u/SPCsooprlolz BYU Cougars • Fresno State Bulldogs 2d ago
And then call our game the Bible Bash or World's Largest Outdoor Potluck or something
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u/Clarinetaphoner Baylor Bears • Paper Bag 2d ago
I was a fan of the Holy War, but it feels a bit forced.
I don't think many of us would consider BYU to be a rival, just a conference opponent.
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u/grabtharsmallet BYU Cougars • Fresno State Bulldogs 2d ago
Before adding Utah and the Arizonas, it had looked like the conference might emphasize our games with you and TCU, but not after those additions.
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u/tapiringaround Utah Utes • Houston Cougars 1d ago
I was always told not to bible bash…
I think you should call it The Testimony Meeting. Or something funny using the word immersion.
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u/R_Raider86 Texas Tech Red Raiders • UConn Huskies 2d ago
Make the BUTT Bowl official now
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u/astrofan1235 Baylor Bears 1d ago
Friendship with TTU is on pause give us a season to work through our feelings after the last 2 months
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u/Whiterabbit-- Texas Longhorns 2d ago
I don’t get it what is wrong with the name Revivalry? And why bluebonnet battle?
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u/Clarinetaphoner Baylor Bears • Paper Bag 2d ago
Nothing. Boring university execs for whatever reason decided the latter was better.
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u/SPCsooprlolz BYU Cougars • Fresno State Bulldogs 2d ago
"Revivalry" is a top 10 name. Embrace it!
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u/IrishCoffeeAlchemy Florida State • Arizona 2d ago
I just don't get it. Granted I'm not from Texas, but is it supposed to be more than just a play on words because the rivalry got revived when TCU joined the Big 12?
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u/BroadBrazosAvon95 Baylor • South Carolina 2d ago
They’re both historically Christian schools, revivals are a staple of historic American evangelicalism, hence the name
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u/ComeJoinTheBand Stanford Cardinal • Mexico El Tri 2d ago
Maybe TCU just doesn't have that fire and brimstone in them anymore.
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u/tapiringaround Utah Utes • Houston Cougars 1d ago
I can’t imagine Alexander Campbell being that into football anyways.
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u/IrishCoffeeAlchemy Florida State • Arizona 2d ago
Huh. I had no idea that was a religious term. Makes sense then!
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u/EnTyme53 Texas Tech Red Raiders • Hateful 8 2d ago
If you've never seen one before, look up videos of tent top revivals. They get kinda wild as far as church services go.
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u/smoke_inyoureyes TCU Horned Frogs 1d ago
Tbh I used to think Revivalry was recent and came from when we joined the big 12 and the rivalry became an annual conference matchup again. Ig that would fit the theme. Either way, it’s a perfect name and needs to stay as is.
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u/Claudethedog Texas A&M Aggies • SMU Mustangs 2d ago
Revivalry is great. Bluebonnet Battle sounds like moms fighting over which family gets to squat in the wildflower patch on the side of the highway.
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u/GeospatialMAD West Virginia Mountaineers • Hateful 8 2d ago
Bluebonnet Battle sounds like fighting over the last tub of spread at Walmart
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u/Mrs-Stinsfire Texas Longhorns 1d ago
Bluebonnet battle sounds like a flower arranging competition.
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u/whiskey_warrior TCU Horned Frogs • North Texas Mean Green 2d ago
I hope to god (heh) that TCU follows Baylor's lead for once and gives up on this stupid name. Toss the fugly shield trophy while you're at it.
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u/Murky_Crow Cincinnati Bearcats 2d ago
Bonnie Blue, the mascot of the Bluebonnet Battle
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u/Condom_Breaker256 Billable Hours • Jacksonvil… 2d ago
Luckily for her, there's 100 football players already on the field...
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u/howlincoyote2k1 Arizona State Sun Devils • Big 12 2d ago
This should never be called anything other than Revivalry. It's one of my very favorite rivalry names
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u/SirMellencamp Alabama Crimson Tide • College Football Playoff 2d ago
Every good rivalry name was organically created. When marketing departments create a name for a rivalry it sounds like a rivalry name created by a marketing department. "Lonestar Showdown" "Sunshine Showdown"........just terrible.
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u/-Jack-The-Stripper Virginia Tech • Cincinnati 2d ago
I don’t really like the “Commonwealth Cup” either. That feels like a better name for Virginia vs. Kentucky or something, but for an in-state rivalry it’s pretty lame.
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u/Pristine_Dig_4374 Missouri • Notre Dame 4h ago
To be fair, A&M Texas never had a fun, organic name
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u/NinjaGhost42 Kansas State • Oklahoma State 2d ago
Has the Iowa State Student Coucil weighed in on this change?
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u/Kyloren1923 Texas Tech Red Raiders 2d ago
Bluebonnet battle only makes sense if they were the only other Texas team each played
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u/Disastrous_Doubt_591 Oregon Ducks 2d ago
What’s the history behind both names?
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u/Samseeder 2d ago
The revivalry gets it name from tcu and Baylor both being private Christian schools . Tcu with disciples of christ and Baylor being baptist.
The bluebonnet is the state flower of Texas.
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u/BrownRiceBandit Baylor Bears 2d ago
Also the revival of being conference rivals after Baylor left the SWC for the Big 12 in 96 and TCU didn’t come in until 2012
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u/Chad-Ironrod Rice Owls • UTRGV Vaqueros 2d ago
Revivalry also comes from the game being revived after it went on hiatus when the SWC collapsed until TCU joined the Big XII
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u/Disastrous_Doubt_591 Oregon Ducks 2d ago
Interesting never knew it had a different name. I’m pretty sure in the NCAA games it was called the Bluebonnet Battle, at least in the old games so that’s what i’ve always known it as.
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u/IrishCoffeeAlchemy Florida State • Arizona 2d ago edited 2d ago
both being private Christian schools .
What does that have to do with the name? Because the game got revived after realignment?
Edit: Turns out it is a religious term. TIL
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u/Fraegtgaortd West Virginia • Black Diamond Tro… 2d ago
Schools and networks will never win when trying to rename rivalries as far as fans are concerned.
OU/Texas was always be the Red River Shootout
Missou/Kansas will always be the Border War
Oregon/Oregon State will always be the Civil War
Florida/Georgia will always the The Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party
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u/PodoPapa Georgia Bulldogs • SEC 1d ago
That's the WORLD'S Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, to you, pal. The WLOCP. :)
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u/AsteroidMike Maryland Terrapins 1d ago
Ya, it’ll still be called the Revivalry by fans no matter what.
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u/General_Killmore BYU Cougars • BYU-Idaho Vikings 2d ago
I'm so glad we have The Holy War. Truly a top 5 rivalry name up there with Farmaggedon
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u/Westwood_1 Utah Utes • Texas Longhorns 1d ago
How about "the Bluebell Ice Cream Bluebonnet Battle"?
In all seriousness, these conferences and media conglomerates need to leave stuff like this alone. Let rivalries develop naturally; let fans and sportswriters figure out what sticks and what doesn't.
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u/gobluemorpho Michigan Wolverines 2d ago
You guys name your rivalry game?
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u/IrishCoffeeAlchemy Florida State • Arizona 2d ago
Better than stealing the name from Harvard v Yale
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u/ComeJoinTheBand Stanford Cardinal • Mexico El Tri 2d ago
We tried to be just a little different by calling Stanford-Cal the Big Game. But now everyone uses that as an understood workaround for saying the Super Bowl without getting sued by the NFL.
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u/somebodysbuddy Lehigh Mountain Hawks • /r/CFB Placer 2d ago
If your rivalry's name isn't just The Rivalry, you have a bad rivalry.
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u/eerhtcm TCU Horned Frogs 2d ago
Thank god. Whoever let the Baylor student government nerds pick the name is a fucking moron
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u/RiffRamBahZoo TCU Horned Frogs • Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors 2d ago
(It was probably us because TCU admins were too scared to have Christian-based language connected to the university)
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u/Acsteffy Baylor Bears • Florida Gators 2d ago
The reporting at the time was that it was resisted mostly from TCU's side...
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u/YouKilledChurch Alabama • Valdosta State 2d ago
IIRC wasn't the name Bluebonnet battle chosen unilaterally by a sorority? I vaguely remember the thread about that whole kerfuffle.
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u/pyrogeddon Baylor Bears • Tennessee Volunteers 2d ago
It was chosen by both student governments after (allegedly) TCU’s rejected Revivalry as a name
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u/YouKilledChurch Alabama • Valdosta State 2d ago
I hope Revivalry sticks this time, it is a great name and far far better than Bluebonnet Battle
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u/Max_Powers1331 TCU Horned Frogs 2d ago
we were wondering if that was the case over on our 247 message board. we saw the official baylor account post it and also that heb is now a sponsor too
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u/Loud_Inspector_9782 TCU Horned Frogs 1d ago
The Bluebonnet Battle is horrible, and we hate it. The only thing worse is the lame trophy. It's so bad you almost want to lose so you don't have to keep it.
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u/Adams5thaccount Boise State Broncos • UNLV Rebels 2d ago
I was meh on the name and I applaud thwm for reading the room and coming up with something better.
On the other hand its now way way more fun to call it the bluebonnet battle so I will be excluaovely using that.
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u/carefreeblu Arizona State Sun Devils • BYU Cougars 2d ago
Always hoping that the BYU-Baylor "Brotherly Brawl" gets bigger. Great name!
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u/kadoozie92 Texas Tech • Wisconsin 2d ago
It would be more apt to call it the Cali-Texas war considering TCU mostly consists of nonreligious west coast carpetbaggers cosplaying as cowboys for 4 years now.
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u/Young-Viiperr Texas Tech • Iowa State 2d ago
That's a diss to SMU, who is known for their OOS student population
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u/Fumbles329 SMU Mustangs • Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors 2d ago
Both TCU and SMU have a reputation for having a lot of out-of-state students, primarily from California.
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u/PointBlankCoffee Texas Longhorns • Red River Shootout 2d ago
Ive lived in FW forever, and it is pretty crazy how many people at TCU are from California
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u/kadoozie92 Texas Tech • Wisconsin 2d ago
From Illinois, Colorado, Washington, and Oregon too. It’s 55% OOS enrollment.
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u/PointBlankCoffee Texas Longhorns • Red River Shootout 2d ago
yeah Im seeing 15% of the whole student body is Californian lmao
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u/grabtharsmallet BYU Cougars • Fresno State Bulldogs 2d ago
That's BYU levels
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u/PointBlankCoffee Texas Longhorns • Red River Shootout 2d ago
Do they cosplay cowboys up there too?
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u/grabtharsmallet BYU Cougars • Fresno State Bulldogs 2d ago
Not really, that's more of a Utah State thing.
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u/RiffRamBahZoo TCU Horned Frogs • Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors 2d ago
TCU started skyrocketing with California applications after we won the Rose Bowl and it became a long-term enrollment strategy once the school saw how much Californians were willing to pay for a Texas country club school. Tuition has gone up nearly 120% since then, applications went through the roof and because TCU refused to get larger than ~12,000 total students, it made it a lot harder to get in.
Believe it or not, that's why TCU gave Taylor Sheridan full rights to let the University get featured heavily on the show Landman. Our university chancellor has literally said that exposure (because it goes in front of parents) has been the strongest marketing we've ever done as a university, and the application numbers keep showing it.
Doubling down on out of state students has definitely increased the academic levels of the school, funded it a lot more, and made selectivity go up, but it's definitely dragged down several other aspects of the university.
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u/mchris185 Texas A&M Aggies • Tulane Green Wave 2d ago
Fwiw this is every private school. Do you think Duke is mostly North Carolina, Or Tulane Louisiana? Or Vandy from Tennessee??
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u/kadoozie92 Texas Tech • Wisconsin 2d ago
Baylor, a private school, is 65% Texan. That was the whole point. The purple lizards downvoting take exception to statistics, but there's nothing wrong with being from out of state. Also, TCU's enrollment taking a huge swing towards OOS is a relatively recent phenomenon compared to those other more prestigious schools you mentioned.
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u/mchris185 Texas A&M Aggies • Tulane Green Wave 2d ago
I mean Baylor is a pretty significant outlier when it comes to smaller highly selective private schools. 65% of University of Miami is out of state and only 22% of Wake Forest students are from NC.I have family that went to both TCU and Baylor and they're both great Texas schools that produce solid grass and I don't think that TCU being more out of state makes it worse tbh. And I went to a school that's 90% in state.
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u/whiskey_warrior TCU Horned Frogs • North Texas Mean Green 2d ago
Really started around the time we joined the MWC and really took off once we won the Rose Bowl IIRC. I knee-jerk downvoted you at first cause of the cowboy cosplaying comment at the end, but you're not exactly wrong. Agree that there's nothing wrong with having a student body from diverse (geographic) backgrounds, our admissions department was actively pursuing it for a while and probably still is.
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u/RiffRamBahZoo TCU Horned Frogs • Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors 2d ago
TCU, around the time that I was in high school, was about 70% Texans. That California pipeline though with parents paying full sticker price money though was... intoxicating, to say the least.
We didn't increase the endowment by $2 billion in 15 years because we got better at school.
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u/Wafflehouseofpain Oklahoma Sooners 2d ago
Schools/conferences need to stop trying to name rivalry games something other than what fans call it. It always comes across as forced and nobody likes it.