UConn claiming UCF to be its rival, creating the “Civil Conflict” game and a corresponding trophy, all without consulting its “rival” is not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things. No players are getting hurt; no one’s doing anything illegal, immoral or unethical here. So please, take this all with a grain of salt.
That said, it’s all just very weird. UConn head football coach Bob Diaco and his staff just up and created a rivalry with a program who — by all sane accounts — is not their rival, equipping the game with a title, trophy and all.