This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/cfb by /u/AllHawkeyesGoToHell on 2024-04-30 15:47:32.

Starting a new series at the behest of u/knockoutking to highlight the best rivalry trophies you’ve never heard about.

I found the group of trophies I thought fit the bill as among the best, I judged them all in a holistic and subjective manner based on the following criteria:

  • Age: both when the trophy was introduced and the age of the artifact
  • Cultural or Regional Ties: should evoke a connection to the communities the trophy is for
  • Name: Good branding elevates everything
  • Quirkiness, the stranger the better
  • The rivalry the trophy is for: A trophy is only as good as those who fight for it, I tried to include series history where it was available.
  • Size: the more linemen who have to carry it, the better
  • Uniqueness: enough with the cups and bells. If it’s going to be like another trophy, it needs to do it in an interesting fashion

To be clear, this is a ranking of the trophies themselves, not the rivalries. Sorry, Lafayette-Lehigh and Amherst-Williams. Being a cool rivalry isn’t enough for this, you need a trophy.

Additionally, I did not count trophies for games that include an FBS team, such as the Old Moonshine Jug between App State and Western Carolina, Piney Woods Trophy between Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin, or the Paddle between Texas State and Nicholls State.

Lastly, I wanted to avoid trophies that had long since been retired, such as the Old Hawg Rifle between Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State or the Nickel Trophy between North Dakota and North Dakota State. Retirements that made the list are all within the last five years.

25) The Bone Trophy

[D2] Starting us off, The Bone Trophy is the fitting prize in the rivalry between the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs and St. Cloud State Huskies, also known as the “Dog Fight.” This trophy is a wooden bone outline emblazoned with the logos of the two schools, and was introduced in 2017 for this 90 year old rivalry.

24) Red Beans and Rice Bowl

[FCS] When Central Arkansas and McNeese State play, the winner gets a giant cast-iron pot. The trophy was introduced in 2008 to celebrate the two region’s heritage as major rice growers and because the Southland decided the two would end the season against each other. And before UCA left the Southland in 2019, the series was finally starting to boil, with UCA leading the all-time record 7-6. In reality, this trophy gets included because of its amazing name more than gridiron legends. Hopefully it comes back soon with the demise of the UAC.

23) NSU Trophy

[FCS] We often talk about how teams with shared abbreviations should commemorate and play for the bragging rights of using that acronym. That’s exactly what Nicholls State and Northwestern State have done, introducing a large wooden N-S-U tchotchke to this 50-year old rivalry in 2018. Northwestern State leads 29-21.

22) Peach Basket

[D2] Valdosta State and West Georgia played every year between 1983 and 2023, and introduced the Peach Basket in 2001, a painted wooden basket the winning team paraded around the field. With West Georgia moving up to FCS this year, it is unclear when the game will return. Valdosta leads the series 29-14.

21) Myron Claxton’s Shoes

[D3] While I don’t plan on showing many discontinued trophies, this one deserves its roses as one of the best trophies in the sport. The Occidental Tigers and the Whittier Poets battled for Myron Claxton’s shoes until Whittier shuttered its program in 2022. The Wikipedia page does the story more justice than I will: “Prior to the 1939 game between the two schools, Occidental decided to steal the shoes of Little All-American tackle Myron Claxton in an attempt to hinder his performance. Claxton played in his work boots, and Whittier went to Oxy and won 36–0. Following the game, Claxton went to the Oxy sideline and reclaimed his shoes. After the Second World War, Claxton’s shoes were bronzed by Whittier College’s Franklin Society and became a trophy that the winner of the game maintains possession of for a year. In anticipation of winning this trophy, both teams have been known to shout “Shoes!” as a rallying cry.” When the series ended in 2019, Occidental led the series 57-52-2.

Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for 20-16 tomorrow!