Quincy University Hawks have a long, storied rivalry with the McKendree Bearcats in Lebanon, Illinois. As the two compete in the GLVC, no matter what sport is being played, the games are closer than any other game that both teams play all season. The latest installment of the rivalry was in Pepsi Arena in mid-February, with the Hawks and Bearcats splitting wins on the basketball court. However, even in the stands, fans tried to understand why the rivalry was so intense.

Emma Tell, a sophomore women’s soccer player, believes that the university’s one true rivalry is when they play the Bearcats. She thinks the rivalry started because the two schools are close in proximity and the two schools are the oldest in Illinois.

“I just don’t like them. I mean, we’re one of the few schools in Illinois in the GLVC conference, and Quincy’s has been the better team in history, between us and McKendree, so the battle to win the state will always be heated and will get nasty on the field of play due to genuine hatred for the school,” Tell said.

While the rivalry on the soccer field is very chippy, on the lacrosse field the rivalry extends beyond the game. McKenna Ham, a junior lacrosse player, believes it is due to the similar size of the schools and some of the things that the players on the field say.

“We’re a similar-sized school with a similar population, so it’s always a tight game every year. Any sport, specifically with us, is always a tight, close game. I always feel like we leave the field wishing we did more and, you know, could do more. When we play McKendree, our egos begin to break through. I think it’s just that idea like, okay, it’s McKendree, and you’re just going all out and it ends up getting chippy and tensions ride high, so I think that’s when things start to get sloppy and a little bit dirty, very dirty,” Ham said.

The rivalry is the most intense it has ever been, and the players who play in these games think that the teams are trying to get an edge. Piper Douglas, a junior women’s lacrosse player, believes the rivalry has now moved to the game-day staff, creating tough situations for the Hawks to play in.

“Every time we play Mckendree, they put not only us but all of our teams in a tiny locker room that holds maybe ten people no matter the size of the team, whether it’s a basketball team with twelve people to our football team who travels sixty players in the same small room, as well they make us walk over a quarter mile across their campus just to get to their stadium. So there is no respect for us from McKendree to our school, and we take that very personally,” Douglas said.

As Quincy University’s sports compete at a high level with other colleges and universities, one matchup that players, staff, and coaches will cherish on campus will be the Hawks’ NCAA Football Battle for the Land of Lincoln with the McKendree Bearcats. With the competitive games, historic traditions, and ongoing feuds, no matter what sport is being played, any installment of the Hawks v. Bearcats saga will add another competitive match to the history books.