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The Big Ten loves a trophy game and Paul Bunyan’s Axe is the coolest traveling trophy there is. Minnesota and Wisconsin began competing for Paul Bunyan’s Axe in 1948 and have met annually since. The series is hotly-contested with Wisconsin leading 63-62-8 all-time through 2023. These two schools first met in 1890 and initially played for a wonderful trophy known as the “Slab of Bacon.” That disappeared after the 1943 contest and the axe was born. Paul Bunyan’s Axe has a six-foot-long wooden handle that bears the winner of each year’s game. Wisconsin and Minnesota will battle for the axe on November 29 in Madison.
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1. Paul Bunyan's Axe

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A ”Floyd of Rosedale” trophy does not sound that cool but look at that remarkable piece of hardware. Iowa and Minnesota began playing in 1891 and the tradition of the Floyd of Rosedale began in 1935. The tradition actually began as a bet between the two state governors for a prize hog to go to the winner. An Iowa social crusader named Virgil Case attempted to have the governor prosecuted for violating Iowa’s anti-gambling laws and then for violating interstate commerce laws but those frivolous objections were thrown out. The prized pig was later given as an award in a statewide essay-writing contest but the pig was not vaccinated and died of cholera eight months later. The two schools agreed to forego live animals in the future and crafted a glorious 98-pound bronze pig trophy that is still played for today. Iowa beat Minnesota 31-14 in September and will hold the hog until the next game between the two.
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2. Floyd of Rosedale

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The newest edition to the Big Ten’s catalog of trophy games is the Victory Bell. USC and UCLA are new to the Big Ten, but the Victory Bell and the two’s annual rivalry have a decorated and long past. The 295-pound brass bell was originally atop a Southern Pacific railroad locomotive and it was given to the UCLA student body in 1939 from the alumni association of the school. The bell rang after each Bruin point but it was stolen by a USC fraternity and kept hidden for more than a year. As disruptive pranks continued, student body presidents for both schools met in November of 1942 and signed an agreement to use the bell as a trophy for the annual game. The winning school keeps the bell for the year and paints the bell’s carriage, the school’s color. UCLA and USC meet in the Rose Bowl on November 23.
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3. Victory Bell

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Indiana and Purdue are known more for their battles on the hardwood but there is legitimate rancor and dislike between the two fan bases. It flares up annually on the gridiron as the two teams battle for the Old Oaken Bucket. IU and Purdue have played 125 times including annual meetings since 1920. The Old Oaken Bucket trophy was initially given in 1925 as a bucket was located at a family farm in southern Indiana. A bronze chain link, either a “P” or an “I”, is added each year to represent the winner of each game. Purdue leads the all-time series 77-42-6 and they have won three in a row in the rivalry. New IU head coach Curt Cignetti hopes to reverse that trend on November 30.

4. Old Oaken Bucket

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As Michigan and Ohio State fans are so quick to tell you: the annual blood rivalry game between the Wolverines and Buckeyes does not need a traveling trophy as the winner is often snagging the Big Ten Championship as a prize. Michigan does play for a couple of trophies, though. The second is number seven on this list and the first is known as Paul Bunyan’s Trophy (Paul Bunyan = quite popular in Big Ten land) and played for by Michigan and Michigan State. The trophy was first presented in 1953 and it is a four-foot wooden statue of a lumberjack. Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr once called it: “the ugliest trophy in college football but when you don’t have him, you miss him”. Michigan leads the trophy series and the two meet on October 26 in Ann Arbor.

5. Paul Bunyan Trophy

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Iowa and Wisconsin have met 97 times but they did not begin playing for the Heartland Trophy until 2004. Wisconsin leads the overall series 49-46-2 and they have held the brass bull presented to the winner of the game ten times to Iowa’s eight. While this is not the most storied trophy, it is a unique brass bull and gets bonus points for looking like something you’d actually want to have. The two schools meet on November 2 for game number 98.

6. Heartland Trophy

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Michigan’s other notable traveling trophy is the Little Brown Jug battled for against Minnesota. These two began playing in 1892 as founding members of the Big Ten, which is one of the oldest rivalries in college football. Minnesota has not been able to punch back very often recently and this game is a casualty of conference expansion and is no longer played annually. The jug entered into college football lore in 1903 when Michigan coach Fielding Yost asked a manager to purchase something to carry water. He was concerned that Minnesota would contaminate the team’s water supply. The game was tied at six, with two minutes remaining, when Minnesota fans rushed the field and called off the game. Michigan left the jug in the locker room and a Minnesota custodian found it. The jug was brought by Minnesota the next time the two played and it has been played for since.

7. Little Brown Jug

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Northwestern and Illinois used to battle for the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk but it was replaced after the 2008 game as the NCAA mandated all Native American imagery deemed hostile or abusive be removed from collegiate athletics. After annual meetings for the trophy since 1945, it was retired and the Land of Lincoln Trophy was introduced before the 2009 game. The trophy is a bronze replica of a stovepipe hat and there have been some wild games in the tightly-contested series. Illinois leads overall 57-55-5 and Northwestern currently holds the trophy after a surprise win in 2023. The Wildcats and Illini will close the regular season against each other on November 30.

8. Land of Lincoln Trophy

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Illinois and Purdue have met 99 times, with the Boilermakers leading the series 48-45-6. The cannon was originally part of a planned Purdue celebration in 1905, but Illinois discovered it and took it before the booming could begin. It was kept at a farmhouse in Illinois until 1943, and it has been contested annually since. The Boilermakers have a giant drum and a cannon—are they planning a re-enactment of an 1800s land invasion? Purdue and Illinois play on October 12 this season.

9. Purdue Cannon

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The Indiana Hoosiers and Michigan State Spartans play annually for the Old Brass Spittoon and it is exactly as gross as it sounds. The tradition began in 1950 with a presentation by a former class president and the two began playing for this barely glorified spit bucket. The Spartans have largely dominated the series, winning 50 of the 65 meetings. Both the Hoosiers and the Spartans have new head coaches and they will clash in East Lansing on November 2.

10. Old Brass Spittoon

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Big Ten schools love rivalry games, and there are more traveling trophies in the league than anyone else. Which are the ten best? Paul Bunyan's Axe is 1!

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