Hey Indy XI, We Need To Talk
- Benton
- Aug 24
- 3 min read
Indy XI,
You came into our life at an interesting time. We were young and in quite a toxic rivalry with FC Cincinnati. You were not initially in our league, but we both saw the potential together. In 2018, Cincy left and your arrival in the USL allowed for a new rivalry to blossom. The Louisville-Indianapolis Proximity Association Football Contest (LIPAFC) was a fresh and fun rivalry. Two teams fighting it out at the top of the East. Things were good. However, it has not been the same as of late. Our “rivalry” feels like the proximity element is carrying almost all the weight anymore. The spark is gone. I think it’s time we saw other rivals.
I want to be perfectly honest; it’s you, not us. We once both held ourselves to the highest standards. The thought of winning trophies was very tangible for both parties. It’s been a while since you’ve shown the ambition we once shared. We graduated from our starter stadium; meanwhile, it looks like IUPUI will remain your home. While we continue to find new ways to succeed, your best years grow distant in the rear-view mirror. We’re moving in different directions. Our visions are no longer aligned.
Something changed in you after 2019. That meeting in the Eastern Conference Finals sent us down two different paths. That was your peak. You never recovered from that faithful day. Since then, the gap between us has grown. Even in your best regular season since, 2024, you were 20 points behind us. However, the more important element of our rivalry is our head-to-head meetings. Unfortunately, it’s been a fairly one-sided affair. We have beaten you 7 of the 14 times we’ve met since 2019, while you have only found 3 wins. Sure, you won the LIPAFC Barrel Trophy™® in 2022. It’s the only trophy you’ve won while we win on to yet another Eastern Conference Finals. Your wins and even the draws have been nothing more than minor inconveniences. No marquee results earned. You had a shot to breathe some life back into this “rivalry” in April 2024. But the league’s first match on CBS proved to be another match you’d like to forget.
If the “CBS game” wasn’t a clear enough sign that we needed a break, along came Lexington. Sure, they are runts, and we hold firm to our title of kings of the Bluegrass. But they have some heart and have already helped create some exciting memories in our short time together. Novelty may be doing a fair bit of work, and that fire could die down quickly. But at least we know their ambition is closer to ours than yours has been. They invest on and off the pitch, and they truly want to compete. Do we really need two regional “rivals” that struggle to compete with us?
Rivalries are special, and the best ones are not forced. LIPAFC has unfortunately devolved from a proper marquee matchup to just a meeting between two clubs in the same conference that are fairly geographically close. It’s a shell of its former self and is beginning to feel forced. We need to accept that. Detroit isn’t too far up the road from you; Maybe there is some chemistry there. They do give us toxic Cincinnati vibes, but they are closer to your level. It’s worth exploring. Perhaps someday you will grow up, and we can re-examine our relationship. But in the meantime, we should go our separate ways.
Thanks for the memories 😘
- Louisville City
