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The original was posted on /r/cfb by /u/AllHawkeyesGoToHell on 2023-10-18 16:51:29.
So I can guess at the answer and it warms this cynical Gopher’s heart, but this does seem like a natural rivalry between the flagships schools of bordering states who already have a natural rivalry (over Wisconsinites resentment of Illinoisians’ ownership of lake cabins and crushing addition of traffic and Illinoisians resentment of Wisconsin’s ownership of the Bears). The schools were the same size historically and generally peer institutions as founding members of the conference. Both schools are each other’s fifth-most played opponent with the series lead going to Wisconsin at 44-39-7. They even played the last time game in FBS football, a 3-3 mess on November 25, 1995. Hell, Madison is equidistant between Champaign and Minneapolis.
To come back, my question here is why didn’t this become a bigger game? Is it because historically Wisconsin wasn’t good enough to get the attention from Illinois in the early-mid 20th century? You don’t need that for a rivalry to stick, look at Tennessee-Alabama. Is it because the Badgers looked West to Minnesota and Iowa for its primary rivals instead Illinois looked to Northwestern, Ohio State and Purdue?
At any rate, this series needs a trophy. Wisconsin’s current trophy games are for an axe and a golden cow, while Illinois plays for a top hat, a cannon, and wooden turtle. What do you all think it should be?