Detroit, Oakland Brand Metro Series Rivalry
Oakland and Detroit have branded an annual rivalry called the Metro Series, driven by Trinity Transportation, which will be awarded to the school with the most head-to-head victories over the course of the academic year. The Metro Series will kick off at the men's soccer game on Wednesday in Detroit at 4 p.m. ET.
"I think this is incredibly exciting," said Oakland Director of Athletics Jeff Konya. "You have two mid-major properties that have had a lot of success recently, and generated a lot of excitement last year in men's basketball. We think there is going to be an experience to our fans and our constituents that's going to be revolutionary and first class. There are a lot of contrasting synergies, which really makes this an interesting rivalry. We have a public and a private school coming together, our schools are within 20-plus miles of each other, you have a school relatively new to Division I competing and one that has been competing for many years. Sports fans in Detroit and Metro Detroit should be excited for the opportunity to get behind, support and see where this rivalry can grow to."
Separated by just 26 miles, Oakland and Detroit are the only Division I schools located in the Metro Detroit area and our both members of the Horizon League. The Golden Grizzlies and Titans will compete in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, softball, women's tennis, men's and women's track and field.
"I'm excited about the rivalry between Detroit and Oakland," said UDM Director of Athletics Robert C. Vowels, Jr. "I believe within this city there is some excitement brewing between both the schools from an academic and athletic perspective. I think because of the close proximity it's going to generate some interest and believe we can find our own niche within the marketplace to help build our brand. We have 13 sports that we are competing in during this rivalry and that the fans can come out and watch many sports and student-athletes compete in the highest level in the city of Detroit."
The winner of each competition will be awarded points, with cross country, golf and track and field being decided by the highest finish at the Horizon League Championships. The school with the most points at the end of the season will be awarded the Metro Rivalry cup. In an event of a tie in the first year, the school with the most Horizon League All-Academic selections from all sports will be the winner. Following the inaugural season, the school that wins the cup the previous year will retain the cup in an event of a tie.
Athletic Directors Jeff Konya and Robert Vowels will be in attendance at the announcement on Tuesday morning at 10 a.m., along with men's basketball coaches Greg Kampe and Ray McCallum. Oakland University President George Hynd will also be there, along with other athletic coaches and staff from both schools. All staff will be available for comment after the announcement.
Last season Oakland and Detroit witnessed attendance highs at the men's basketball games that produced an overtime thriller in the O'rena on ESPNU during Rivalry Week. The Golden Grizzlies had an attendance record of 4,065 and the Titans featured a crowd of 6,976 in Calihan Hall, the third largest attendance since the 1999-00 season.
#MetroSeries
