Most Important Trophy Game

[NUance]

 

If only we had something uber cool like the Cy-Hawk farm family trophy.

 

 

/sarcasm

[broganreynik]

D - None of the above

 

 

They got way ahead of themselves with these "rivalry" and trophy games. It's all so transparently artificial, and nobody really cares about them. The Wisconsin game will be a rivalry if we ever start beating them. Iowa won't be unless either of us starts competing for the division anytime soon. If they don't, playing Iowa is no different than playing Purdue - and there's no trumped-up trophy for that game.

 

Give Faux Pelini credit. He did a good job of skewering the artificiality of these trophy games and actually came up with something funny. And, it's against a team that we've been playing evenly-matched games with since joining the Big Ten. Turns out, the $5 bits of broken chair trophy was a collaborative effort from Chucky McChuckles the Minnesota mascot, Faux Pelini, and reddit.

 

We need a trophy for the Northwestern game. I believe someone suggested The Battle for NU a few years back.

 

Every season during Northwestern week, I try to drum up support for my idea of the loser doesn't get to wear an 'N' on their helmets the following season. Obviously, that hasn't led to much, but damn it, I'm going to get this to happen one way or another!

 

EDIT: I voted for the NU/Missouri Bell because of the history behind it. The fact that it was stolen and they played to get it back is an awesome story. Of course, nowadays something like that would result in criminal charges.

[Redux]

 

 

D - None of the above They got way ahead of themselves with these "rivalry" and trophy games. It's all so transparently artificial, and nobody really cares about them. The Wisconsin game will be a rivalry if we ever start beating them. Iowa won't be unless either of us starts competing for the division anytime soon. If they don't, playing Iowa is no different than playing Purdue - and there's no trumped-up trophy for that game. Give Faux Pelini credit. He did a good job of skewering the artificiality of these trophy games and actually came up with something funny. And, it's against a team that we've been playing evenly-matched games with since joining the Big Ten. We need a trophy for the Northwestern game. I believe someone suggested The Battle for NU a few years back.

While I agree that the conference jumped the gun on Iowa and Wiscy, I think the Minny series is acceptable by rivalry standards.While its true Minny already has several established rivalries and trophies to contend for, we do hold a long historocal series with them. Not only that but the trophy in this game was fan/team made which follows along more so than the 2 fabricated by the league.

I edited my post, probably while you were typing this. I'm on board with a Minnesota rivalry. The series so far, even only including recent history, seems rivalry-esque. Same for Northwestern.

My vote for leading "rivalry" went to NW before last season. I'm leaning towrads Minny now. The history plus a tied 2-2 conference foe record helps.

[The Maudfather]

The bits of broken chair trophy and it's not even close. The origin of this trophy was organic, unlike the other two that were seemingly forced on the universities and bare horrendous, cookie cutter names. If we beat Minnesota this year, the players need to rush the Minnesota sideline to get the trophy and legitimize it.

[knapplc]

The bits of broken chair trophy and it's not even close. The origin of this trophy was organic, unlike the other two that were seemingly forced on the universities and bare horrendous, cookie cutter names. If we beat Minnesota this year, the players need to rush the Minnesota sideline to get the trophy and legitimize it.

And if we beat Wisconsin and/or Iowa, it'd be great if they ignored the fake corporate trophies, or let school officials go get them.

[Lyons in the Sea of Red.]

I think a trophy with a flip phone and an iPhone wearing football helmets and boxing gloves would suffice

[TGHusker]

5 bits trophy - long history, close games currently, and relatively close in distance between the schools.

The Iowa one is forced the Wisc one is too one sided. It may catch fire and importance as time goes on.

[NebraskaShellback]

None of the above!

[The Duke]

Here are the images and the history backgrounds of all the trophies for those that needed a reminder or who have never seen them before.

 

 

Missouri Nebraska Bell Trophy (Also Known as The Victory Bell):

This tradition dates back to 1892 when Nebraska & Missouri first met, the bell was taken from a church in Seward Nebraska by members of Nebraska fraternities Phi Delta Theta and Delta Tau Delta. At the time, the members of the two fraternities occupied the same house. When the two groups moved into separate houses, there was a dispute over who should keep the bell. Annual scholastic or athletic contests were held, with the bell being used as a trophy. This rivalry abated, yet still the ownership of the bell was left in question.

 

In 1926, Missouri Athletic Director Chester D. Brewer suggested an annual award be established for the annual Missouri-Nebraska football game. The bell was selected to be the prize to the end the conflict between the fraternities, and the letters 'M' and 'N' were engraved on opposite sides of the bell. The exchange was coordinated by the Innocents Society of Missouri's prestigious Q.E.B.H. Society. Missouri won the first game in 1927 7-6. The scores from the games are engraved on the bell and go up through 2005.

 

With Nebraska's victory over Missouri in the final league meeting of these teams on October 30, 2010, Nebraska's Memorial Stadium became the apparent final home of the Victory Bell, though a commemorative bell will be produced for permanent display at the University of Missouri. It is possible that the Victory Bell could change hands again if the teams meet in a future non-conference game or postseason bowl game.

 

 

 

Nebraska-Iowa Heroes Game Trophy:

The Heroes Trophy has been awarded to the winner of the game between Nebraska & Iowa since 2011. Hy-Vee is the title sponsor of the yearly meeting between these two Big Ten universities. This annual rivalry benefits the American Red Cross, and also recognizes individuals from each state for acts of heroism in their communities. In advance of each year's game, fans of both schools nominate everyday citizens of Iowa and Nebraska who deserve to be honored for extraordinary acts of heroism. One citizen-hero from each state will be invited to attend the game asa special guest of each team, receive on-field recognition, and have his or her name inscribed on the game trophy.

 

The trophy itself was designed by Rickabuagh Graphics.

 

 

 

The Nebraska-Wisconsin Freedom Trophy:

Prior to their meeting in 2014 the athletic departments of both universities announced the two teams would play for the newly created Freedom Trophy, thus cementing the new rivalry. Upon the announcement of the newest Big Ten trophy game, Wisconsin's Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez stated "Trophy games are part of the tradition of college football, and I'm thrilled that we're going to be introducing one into our rivalry with Nebraska."

 

The trophy itself is made of bronze and features images of both teams' football stadiums with an American flag in the center. Half of the stadiums exterior is the East side of Nebraska's Memorial Stadium and the other half is the North section of Wisconsin's Camp Randall Stadium. The trophy is mounted onto a wooden base where future game scores will be inscribed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minnesota-Nebraska $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy:

The idea for the trophy came about, after friendly back-and-forth banter between the Twitter accounts for Minnesota mascot Goldy Gopher and a parody account for then Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini, "Faux Pelini." Faux Pelini suggested the wager on the game between their respective schools be "if we [Nebraska] win, you give me $5, if you [Minnesota] win I get to smash a wooden chair over your back." This prompted Goldy to crowdsource Twitter followers and the community at reddit's college football section to design the "$5-Bits-of-Broken-Chair-Trophy." Many designs were quickly presented and eventually Goldy created a real trophy, which was brought to the 2014 game in Lincoln. The first meeting for the $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy was held in Lincoln, NE on November 22, 2014, a game which Minnesota won 28-24 to take the trophy. It has since been subsequently displayed at Minnesota's spirit events with other trophies such as Floyd of Rosedale and the Little Brown Jug.

[Mavric]

Still no votes for the Heroes Game/Trophy?

[admo]

"if we [Nebraska] win, you give me $5, if you [Minnesota] win I get to smash a wooden chair over your back."

 

[admo]

Before even seeing this I voted immediately for $5 bits of broken chair

[Redux]

Still no votes for the Heroes Game/Trophy?

Yeah I am a little surprised by that.

[Mavric]

 

Still no votes for the Heroes Game/Trophy?

Yeah I am a little surprised by that.

 

 

I'm not sure I'm surprised but it is pretty telling.

[True2tRA]

I'll vote the Broken Chair Trophy as the favorite since it came about naturally.

 

I think the Wisconsin and Minnesota games are going to develop into real rivalries in their own time. I'm just not into the fabricated trophies.