The basics

Location: Durham, New Hampshire

Colors: UNH Blue (whatever that is) and white

Nickname: Wildcats

Mascot: Wild E. Cat, a kind of dog/cat hybrid that is way too lovable

Reputation: Really good at sports not associated with the America East (nationally ranked football team, six-time Hockey East champion hockey team), not so good at AE sports, (no men’s basketball titles, one women’s basketball titles despite being a charter member of the conference)

Notable alumni: Carlton Fisk, a bunch of hockey players and ‘Global Guts’ host Mike O’Malley

The dirt

We hate them because: It’s not even an issue of love or hate with UNH at Binghamton University. We don’t even pay attention to them. They’re a benign threat at best that can’t get its men’s soccer or basketball teams to compete because football and hockey are king and because of Title IX there isn’t much left over for the AE men’s sports.

They rule in: cross country, football, hockey, and they were pretty good at swimming and diving, but they just cut the team

When it’s OK to root for them: Most of the time unless a Wildcat win affects the Bearcats, or if you’re from Maine

Professional comparison: Detroit Lions ‘ They’ve been around for a long time, have a potentially huge fan base and occasionally play spoiler to the big teams, but to the America East, they’re more of an annoyance than a threat.

The history

Brag about: The fact that BU has more of a future in the America East than UNH. There’s not much history between the schools: the sports that one tends to be good in, the other tends not to be. But things don’t look to be getting better for the Wildcats in the America East. Their basketball team was just picked to finish in last place, and several AE sports were just cut from the school to be in compliance with Title IX.

Cringe when they mention: The 2006 AE women’s soccer tournament which UNH knocked Binghamton out on penalty kicks, sending the Bearcats home in PKs for the second straight season; this year’s 1-0 victory that UNH pulled in men’s soccer almost cost BU the regular season title; last season’s 15 point second half collapse by Binghamton’s men’s basketball team at the Events Center (but on the bright side this helped to end the Al Walker era).

Names to remember for 2007-2008: Robert Edgerton and Matthew O’Connor, cross country; Mike Christensen and Tyreece Gibbs, men’s basketball

Next chance to see them on campus: Basketball season unless the Wildcats pull some upsets and face us in the America East men’s soccer championships or you could head to Durham for the women’s soccer championship this weekend

Bottom line: It’s going to be tough for New Hampshire to remain relevant in America East men’s sports. They have great football and hockey teams and the majority of their men’s scholarships go toward those. Even on the women’s side they’ll never be the most dominant team because the most money inevitably goes to the women’s hockey team. None of this is bad for UNH. I’m sure most Binghamton students would love to have a successful football and hockey team, but in the AE they should remain a non-factor.