Great games thrive on heated rivalries. Baseball has the Yankees and the Red Sox. College football has Michigan and Ohio State. And college women's basketball has Geno Auriemma and Pat Summitt, better known as Connecticut vs. Tennessee.

The Huskies-Vols feud has become the hottest ticket around since Tennessee officials chose to end their annual series last season. And some fans are banking on their Women's Final Four experience to end with a blue-and-orange bang Tuesday night at the St. Pete Times Forum.

But Van Chancellor might be the quiet cousin to crash reunion plans. Chancellor and his LSU Tigers have a chance to knock off the Lady Vols for the second time this season when the two play in a Final Four semifinal Sunday, thus dashing all hopes for a Connecticut-Tennessee banner game.

Sunday's game marks the third season meeting — and second in a month — for the Tigers and Tennessee. LSU clinched the Southeastern Conference regular-season title in February with a 78-62 win and Tennessee later followed that with a 61-55 win over the Tigers in the SEC tournament title game.

For now, their rivalry is the only one that matters.

"I think the women's Final Four right now — with not only the players, but three of the other coaches — I think is the greatest Final Four we've ever had," said Chancellor, who is in his first season with LSU and 29th overall.

The Tigers have All-American center Sylvia Fowles, but they also have a new leader.

Last season, players were tied to a national controversy when their former coach, Pokey Chatman, resigned days before the NCAA Tournament after reports surfaced alleging she had a sexually inappropriate relationship with a former player.

When Chatman left after three seasons, it stirred more uncertainty for the senior class, which endured four coaching changes, including the late Hall of Fame coach Sue Gunter, interim coach Bob Starkey and Chancellor.

The 64-year-old Chancellor left behind a brief coaching retirement that included four WNBA championships and an Olympic gold medal to bring stability to the LSU program.

Players excelled above controversy, even handing their SEC rival Vols their worst conference loss since 1985. LSU and Stanford are the only teams — and both are in the Final Four — to knock off Tennessee this season.

Paced by the 6-foot-6 Fowles and guard Quianna Chaney, the Tigers beat No. 1-seeded North Carolina to win the New Orleans Region.

"No one else in college basketball as a team has overcome the loss of a coach, the loss of another coach, another coach for your senior year. You've gone through all the hurricane problems. You've done it all," Chancellor said.

Only an NCAA title waits.