University of Massachusetts Amherst: New Documentary ‘RIVALS’ Features UMass Sport Management Faculty Member David Tyler’s Research

A new documentary on sports rivalries based on the research from the Know Rivalry Project, a collaborative research effort co-founded by David Tyler, associate professor in the Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management in the Isenberg School of Management, debuts nationally Nov. 20 with airings on a number of cable television networks.

Using the football rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan as a case study, the documentary “RIVALS” explores the meaning of rivalry, its antecedents and its outcomes by leaning heavily on Tyler’s work in the Know Rivalry Project with Joe Cobbs, professor and chair of the Department of Sports Business and Events Management in the Haile College of Business at Northern Kentucky University.

Narrated by Academy Award-winning actor J.K. Simmons – who was born in Michigan but remains a rabid Ohio State fan – “RIVALS” tells the story of these two elite Division I football programs through the “rivalry ingredients” uncovered by Tyler and Cobbs’ research. The film gleans the perspectives of more than 30 individuals whose lives were impacted by the rivalry, including: Archie Griffin, the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner; legendary players Dan Dierdorf and Keith Byars; broadcasters Rich Eisen and Joe Klatt; historians Jack Park and John Bacon; and veteran journalists from around the Buckeyes’ and Wolverines’ homes of Columbus, Ohio and Ann Arbor, Michigan.

“We’re thrilled to see our research used in this way,” said Tyler. “Our goal is always to educate as many people as possible, and this film helps the findings reach a broader audience.”

The film, which debuts at 7 p.m. Nov. 20 on the Tennis Channel, with multiple airings across Bally Sports regional sports networks, Marquee, YES Network and Big Ten Network, differs from other sports documentaries by taking a more scientific approach to rivalry.

“The movie is exceptionally well-researched,” said Cobbs. “Peter [Karl, the film’s director] wanted to understand the psychology of fan rivalry, and we were grateful for the opportunity to invite the film crew into class and share results from our last decade of work.”

Tyler and Cobbs began studying rivalry as doctoral students at UMass Amherst in 2008. They soon formed the Know Rivalry Project to research fan perceptions of rivalry, provide guidance for industry professionals and develop methods for teaching consumer research and data analytics to students.

Tyler and Cobbs consulted with the directorial/production group from DLP Media, who have produced ESPN “30 for 30” episodes and films for FOX Sports, NFL Media, NETFLIX and others, several times in 2021 and 2022, beginning with the early conceptualizations of the film and culminating with weeks of on-campus filming in spring 2022. The film and the quarterly docuseries that will follow in the coming months are executive produced by L. Jon Wertheim, renowned author, Sports Illustrated executive editor and anchor-correspondent on “60 Minutes,” and is presented by two-time Emmy nominee TC Studios.

Recalling his first impression when seeing the film, Tyler says, “It was surreal. My kids were particularly amused that ‘the Spider-Man guy’ was talking about us.”

“Scholarly nuances often get lost in condensed explanations,” he adds, “but the film is true to the research. The first 10 minutes capture concepts that Joe and I talk about every day.”