The basics

Location: Burlington, Vt.

Colors: Green and gold.

Nickname: Catamounts.

Nickname sounds like: Intimidating combination of a wildcat and a mountain.

Nickname is actually: Just a cougar.

Abbreviation: UVM, not UVT.

Reason: College was founded as the University of the Green Mountains, or in Latin, Universitas Viridis Montis (UVM).

Mascot: Rally Cat, a catamount (I guess) who kind of looks like the Tasmanian Devil.

Reputation: Big time men’s basketball team with a rabid fan base, best known for its upset of Syracuse in the 2005 NCAA tournament. Decent hockey team, not much going in the way of sports played outside.

Notable alumni: Martin St. Louis, the guys from Phish, Ben Affleck attended for a couple of days.

The dirt

We hate them because: They own Binghamton University in men’s basketball. The image of Mike Trimboli soaking in the crowd’s cheers during the 2006 men’s basketball tournament after Vermont knocked off the second-seeded Bearcats is a moment all BU fans would like to forget. Their fans really seem to annoy Bearcat fans, too, probably because a lot of them are hippies.

They rule in: Men’s basketball and occasionally men’s soccer.

When can you root for them: National tournaments. Otherwise never. Bearcat fans do not want Catamount fans to get any satisfaction.

Professional comparison: Boston Red Sox ‘ A lot of history at this school (it’s the fifth oldest in New England), but until recently, not a lot of championships. I said before that Boston University was the Yankees, so this makes it even more relevant. Now that UVM is competitive, their rivalry with BU is suddenly not one-sided and is one of the fiercest in the conference.

The history

Brag about: Barry Neville’s penalty kick in the 2006 AE soccer championship. Neville was blatantly taken down in the box in sudden-death overtime, then booted one past the Catamount keeper to seal the Bearcats second ever men’s soccer championship. Jan. 25, 2006 at the Events Center when the Bearcats outlasted UVM 61-60 in two overtimes prompting the crowd to rush the court.

Cringe when they mention: The 2006 AE basketball tournament. The Bearcats led by 15 early, and it seemed like a trip to the AE championship was imminent. The rest is history. Binghamton collapsed, shot 28 percent in the second half, and Vermont easily won 66-59, as its fans out-cheered even the always-boisterous BU Zoo. The fact is that, as much as BU students will deny this, Mike Trimboli, not Mike Gordon, is the best point guard in the America East.

Names to remember for 2007-2008: Mike Trimboli, Colin McIntosh and coach Mike Lonergan, men’s basketball; T.J. Gore and Roger Scully, men’s soccer; Sara Fenton and Sarah Madey, women’s basketball.

Next chance to see them on campus: Basketball season for sure, but if the seeds hold, the men’s soccer team could meet second-seeded Vermont in another AE Championship at the Bearcats Sports Complex next weekend.

Bottom line: Vermont’s victory over Syracuse in the 2005 men’s basketball tournament is probably the best thing to ever happen to the America East. Seeing guys like T.J. Sorrentine and Taylor Coppenrath (two of the best to ever play in the AE) beat Gerry McNamarra and Hakim Warrick on national television was huge. With its consistent ability to land top recruits, Vermont is a big part of making the conference legitimate. That said, it is even more important for the Bearcats to take down Vermont. They have been a thorn in BU’s side for too long. The team is going to be very good this year, but not unbeatable, and they are only going to get better. This is the year to beat Vermont.