A rivalry has been brewing over the past two seasons.

NIU and Bowling Green want nothing more than to prove they are the cream of the crop in the MAC.

The last two seasons, the Huskies and BGSU have seen success both in football and basketball. Saturday’s football game pitted the Huskies against the Falcons in a match-up of two top-25 teams. Then, last week’s preseason men’s basketball rankings had the Huskies as the favorite, with the Falcons second in the MAC West.

“It makes it more exciting to have a rival,” NIU basketball guard Al Sewasciuk said. “We’re both striving to be the best in the MAC. The last few times we’ve played them, it’s always been close.”

It all started last Nov. 9, when BGSU came to Huskie Stadium undefeated not only in the MAC, but also as one of four unbeaten teams in all of college football.

The Huskies won that game 26-17, in turn firing up BGSU for last Saturday’s game between the two. The Falcons got their revenge, winning 34-18 and ending NIU’s perfect season.

“I think we’ve become rivals over the past two years,” NIU quarterback Josh Haldi said. “The last two games have had such meaning to them. We took care of them at home and they returned the favor last week. It’s just going to continue to build. As long as both of us are playing well, the game will continue to have meaning.”

Last year in basketball, Bowling Green was able to draw blood first, beating the Huskies 64-63 in the Convocation Center on a layup by Cory Eyink.

The Huskies got their revenge in Bowling Green three weeks later with a 63-46 win.

The rivalry between the two schools hasn’t been elevated to the status of Michigan-Ohio State in football, or Duke-North Carolina in basketball, but to the players involved, it is more than just any game.

“To our coaches our biggest rival is Toledo,” NIU receiver Sam Hurd said. “But to the players, we have to prove to Bowling Green that we can beat them. They all said that the reason we beat them was because of the crowd last year.”

Bowling Green moved from the east to the west division of the MAC in 2002 when Central Florida was added to the MAC.

“There is no question that during the last two years, the NIU-BGSU game has had a big-time college football feel,” said J.D. Campbell, BGSU assistant athletic director. “Both teams are so well-coached and have made a statement with some big wins nationally. However, the fans have taken this to a new level and regardless of which side of the fence you sit on, you have to respect the fact that both schools are making this a big deal when the other comes to town.”