CHICAGO — Sure, they’ve battled in the same division for two years. They’ve fought over recruits in New Jersey. They’ve had dueling satellite camps. They’ve had a war of words within the marketing department.

But no, Michigan and Rutgers are not rivals. Yet.

Chris Ash said that much when he took the podium for his first B1G Media Day on Monday.

“There’s no rivalry with Michigan yet,” Ash said. “They’ve done some things that we’ve not yet been able to do.”

RELATED: Michigan staff accuses Rutgers of copying marketing strategy

Ash didn’t go into specifics about the incidents that have transpired between the two programs this offseason. He didn’t have to.

Instead, he basically said the obvious. Rutgers is not at the level that Michigan is at. That was evident when the Wolverines rolled to a 49-16 victory in Ann Arbor this past season, which evened the two-year series.

Ash did talk about the strides he feels like his program is making to get to that level, but that Rutgers is still a way off from doing that.

So at least we now have an answer to the question that’s surfaced a few times this offseason. Are Michigan and Rutgers rivals?

No they aren’t. Not yet.