Adam Rittenberg is a Medill sophomore. He can be reached at [email protected].

For the past two seasons, Wildcats fans had circled and highlighted one date on the schedule – it was a game that meant something extra and an opponent that got the adrenaline flowing. Indiana had been the closest thing to an NU rival, but that’s all over now, courtesy of a 78-54 thumping at Assembly Hall.

There were no “K.O.” masks, neon hunting vests, midcourt confrontations or peppermint candies.

Hell, even a cuss word would have added some luster to this dud.

The only reminder of the past was an Indiana student wearing a “Hoosier Daddy Now?” T-shirt. But even the usually boisterous Indiana faithful had trouble revving up their engines Wednesday night: With the Hoosiers up 22-7 eight minutes into the first half, an Indiana student wearing a “Go Big Red” shirt yawned and slumped into his seat.

Oh, and as for NU fans in attendance, there were three of them – believe me, I knew them all.

One of the brave souls who made the trek down Interstate 65 told me a much larger contingent of students roadtripped to Bloomington in 1999 to watch Indiana’s thrilling 81-78 buzzer-beating win over the Cats. And remember last February, when we all scrambled up to Welsh-Ryan Arena to see a significantly worse NU squad battle Indiana?

Sure, it’s Valentine’s Day, but NU students don’t date, or so I thought. That guy Ben Harper was singing at Patten Gym, but all I hear is Dave Matthews blaring in the dorms. And I can’t forget the NU student’s favorite excuse – exams – even though we all know every week is midterm week.

But the blame for the end of this “rivalry” does not lie completely with apathetic NU students, most of whom didn’t even bother to show up for the Cats’ streak-snapping victory over Iowa on Saturday. The electricity this matchup once created came from two loud, angry men who both left their teams last fall.

Bobby Knight and Kevin O’Neill brought life to every basketball game – they wore their emotions on their faces, let expletives fly at will and gave referees 40-minute migraines. Many students went to the game last year just to see what they would do next, hoping their volatile personalities would fuse – and explode – like they did in 1999’s “Hoosier Daddy” aftermath.

Things just aren’t the same without O’Neill and Knight stomping the sidelines. Current NU coach Bill Carmody and Indiana’s Mike Davis generate about as much excitement as SAGA’s beef barley soup. A glance at both coaches with 9:48 left in the first half summed up their “relaxed” styles: Davis sat hunched over in his chair, calling out an occasional play, while a cross-legged Carmody held his left arm across a crimson chair, watching his team in disbelief.

Kevin O’Neill sitting cross-legged? I don’t think so.

Following Wednesday night’s slaughter, depleted NU players said the game with Indiana was never a rivalry, but instead a semi-annual shouting match for O’Neill and Knight.

“It might have been a rivalry just between Coach O’Neill and Coach Knight because they’re good friends,” NU guard Ben Johnson said. “But as players we don’t even look at it – that’s just the team we’re playing against that night.”

Wrong answer, Ben.

With their struggles over the past two seasons, the Cats need a rival more than any other Big Ten team. Nothing is more exciting when records and statistics disappear and two teams slug it out for the sake of pride. And NU’s fans need a reason to come to games, paint their faces and scream their heads off for two hours twice a season.

Rivalries are what sports are all about, and NU had a fun one for two years.

It’s too bad only three students got to see it end.