Welcome back to The Rival Rundown! If you’ve always wanted to give props to your school on CC, now’s your chance! Shoot us an email explaining what’s awesome and unique about your school (or what stinks about Rival U) at rivalrundown [at] collegecandy.com!

This week we deviate from our typical Rival Rundown in two ways. First, we’ll be covering a (women’s!) basketball rivalry, as the athletic calendar moves into a new season. Second, this rivalry–between the University of Connecticut and the University of Tennessee–has been canceled! Though lauded by Sports Illustrated as one of the most intense rivalries in any sport this decade, in 2007, officials at Tennessee mysteriously elected not to renew their contract to schedule any further seasonal games against UConn.  What makes this rivalry, apart from its shocking termination, unique? Read on to find out!

Quick Facts

UConn: Public land-grant research institution in Storrs, CT with 17,000 undergraduates. Founded in 1881.
Tennessee: Public research institution in Knoxville, TN with 21,000 undergraduates. Founded in 1794.

1. Women’s Basketball Record

UConn: 13-9
Tennessee: 9-13

Three credits to: UConn Read More »

School is officially out! Time to put away those books and pull out the swim suit, because June is here. And along with the beginning of summer comes a bunch of stuff to do in celebration of sun and fun.

1)    Happy Birthday, Donald Duck!

He debuted in the cartoon “The Little Wise Hen” on June 9th 1934, so it’s this beloved Disney character’s birthday month! Celebrate Donald Fauntleroy Duck’s birthday by playing Duck, Duck, Donald Duck (goose), rewatch some old Disney classics under a Wearable Towel (touted the “summertime Snuggie”), or sip on a Duck Cocktail.  Or just laugh at the resemblance to Miley Cyrus.

2)    MK&A’s Birthday

Not a b-day for a duck without pants this time, but for tiny twins, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. The only reason I mention them is because they’ve partnered with one of my favorite shoe designers, Steve Madden, to launch a new shoe line under their “Elizabeth and James” label. The shoes aren’t bad-looking, although a bit pricey ($200-$500), and some are strangely made from ostrich and pony hair (but we expect strange from the Olsen twins, of course).

3)    Father’s Day

Mark your calendars for June 21st when we honor our fathers and everything they’ve done for us. Get dad some floss that tastes like bacon, coffee, or waffles, or download the Hulu desktop application for him. If you’re nice enough, maybe he’ll buy you a kitten. Wings included. Read More »

I love Fordham. L-o-v-e it. I’ve got my school t-shirt and my string bag and, yes, that might have been me you saw at the basketball game singing along to The Ram. If you asked me to describe the essence of Fordham, I could tell you about the Jesuit education tradition, or the hard-working student body, or the thrill of studying in New York. Or I could just buy it for you.

Thanks to a new company called Masik Collegiate Fragrances, you can now purchase the scent of your school in perfume form. If scent is the sense most closely tied to memory, the kind folks at Masik have now made it possible to capture the memories of the best years of your life with just a whiff of their product. Want to show off your school pride in a stylish, subtle way? Buy a bottle of your school’s perfume!

I know what you’re thinking: how did they capture the distinctive smell of public-bathroom-disinfectant and Natty Light with just a pinch of mildew? And who on earth would ever wear that? But their methods are much more creative than that. Masik creates specific fragrances based on a variety of factors, such as school colors, traditions, and flowers found on campus. The goal is not to recreate a scent with which students are already familiar (i.e. spilled laundry detergent and leftover pizza), but a new scent that students can adopt and wear and begin to associate with their college memories. Not a bad idea.

Currently, they have developed fragrances for UNC-Chapel Hill and Penn State, with Auburn, UF, Tennessee, and others on the way. (Note to Masik: anytime you want to get started on Fordham’s, be my guest.) So if you’ve got any Tar Heels or Nittany Lions fans on your holiday gift list this year, $60.00 will get you a bottle of their school perfume/cologne. And be on the lookout in case your school is next; perhaps you, too could be spritzing a bottle of Eau du Alma Mater in the near future!

Fashion reared its fabulous head last night where you would least expect it. The CMA Awards in Nashville, TN had some of the hottest women and men in the entertainment biz, not to mention some of the best dressed.

Remember years ago, as a hip and trendy youngster, you wouldn’t have been caught dead listening to country music? It made your ears bleed, not to mention it was hick-like. Well, country music has changed its tune and is no longer a place for ugly plaid button up shirts, clunky belt buckles, or square dancing. Country music now produces extremely popular and beautiful people who are sweeping the music scene, the big screen, and the fashion business.

This is a mini recap of some of the popular folks who walked down the red carpet (yes, there was a red carpet) at the CMA awards last night. All the people chosen were chosen because of their terrific fashion sense and for their ability to capitalize on the changing face of country music.

Read More »

If you’re from Ohio, Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Florida, Indiana and Colorado, today’s the day to get your sh*t together and register to vote.

Virginia voters have definitely heard to the call to get up and out, as many registration booths have been “overwhelmed” by the amount of people trying to insure their say in this election.  According to the Los Angeles Times;

“Virginia has logged more than 300,000 new voters since the year began. The state does not record party affiliation, but it says that 41% of the new registrants are under the age of 25, and an additional 20% are between the ages of 25 and 34.

The influx of young voters, a core part of Obama’s voting coalition, is an encouraging sign for the Democratic nominee in a state that has not picked a Democrat for president in more than 40 years .”

It’s always encouraging when young people put down their ipods and blackberrys and decide to take responsibility for a nation they’ll soon be controlling, and it’s even more encouraging that a Democratic candidate unlike any other is the one that gets them fired up.

No matter what party you affiliate yourself with, it’s got to make you happy that someone has finally (seemingly) lit the fire under the ass of America’s youth.

As if women needed another method to be exploited, Tennessee lawn care company Tiger Time Lawn Care has decided to boost sales by offering routine lawn service performed by bikini-clad landscapers.

Tiger Lawn Care has been able to make their services slightly more expensive, due to the show that customers receive — in addition to an immaculate lawn.

According to employees, some customers sit outside with a beer and watch their lawn being mowed by the attractive young girls….ew. While this may be pleasurable for lazy pervs, the rest of society shouldn’t be thrilled.

These women are blatantly being viewed as objects. Sure, they accepted the position of half-naked landscaper, but their actions are being publicly displayed. Little children riding their bikes around the neighborhood will encounter these women and learn early on that sex sells. Do we really need any more evidence of that fact?

Not to mention, men already have enough access scantily clad or naked women. Why should normal suburban women have to drive home from work and see a woman resembling a stripper mowing her neighbor’s lawn? Read More »