The competition between Oxford and Cambridge also has a long history , dating back to the days when Cambridge was founded by unsatisfied scholars from Oxford . When expanded , the universities are almost always referred to as `` Oxford and Cambridge '' , the order in which they were founded . A notable exception is Japan 's Cambridge and Oxford Society , probably arising from the fact that the Cambridge Club was founded there first , and also had more members than its Oxford counterpart when they amalgamated in 1905 .