Paul Bunyan's Axe
Encyclopedia
| Paul Bunyan's Axe | |
| Teams | Wisconsin Badgers Wisconsin Badgers football The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football... Minnesota Golden Gophers Minnesota Golden Gophers football The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college football history. They compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have claimed six national championships and have an all time record of 646–481–44 as... |
| Originated | 1948 |
| Trophy Series | Wisconsin leads, 37-24-3 |
| Current Holder | Wisconsin |
| Previous Trophy | Slab of Bacon Slab of Bacon The Slab of Bacon was a traveling trophy that passed between the University of Wisconsin–Madison Badgers and University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football teams, given annually to the winning team immediately upon the conclusion of the game... |
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Paul Bunyan's Axe, named after
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
the mythical giant lumberjack
Lumberjack
A lumberjack is a worker in the logging industry who performs the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to a bygone era when hand tools were used in harvesting trees principally from virgin forest...
Paul Bunyan, is a prize awarded every year to the winner of the college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
game between Minnesota
Minnesota Golden Gophers football
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college football history. They compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have claimed six national championships and have an all time record of 646–481–44 as...
and Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
.
History
The trophy is a symbol of one of the most storied rivalries in college football, representing the most-played rivalry in Division I-A football, with 120 editions dating back to 1890. The Golden Gophers lead the all-time series, 59-54-8, while the Badgers lead the Axe's series, 37-24-3.Earlier, the schools played for the Slab of Bacon
Slab of Bacon
The Slab of Bacon was a traveling trophy that passed between the University of Wisconsin–Madison Badgers and University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football teams, given annually to the winning team immediately upon the conclusion of the game...
, a piece of wood with an M or a W, depending from which angle one would look on it. Minnesota led that series 11-3 until the trophy was "lost" in 1943. It would not resurface until 1994.
The Paul Bunyan Axe was created by the Wisconsin letterwinners' organization (the National W Club) and would be instituted as the trophy in the series in 1948. The scores of each game are recorded on the axe's handle, which is 6 feet long. The original axe was retired after the 2003 game and a new axe was created for the 2004 game.http://badgerherald.com/sports/2003/11/19/original_axe_headed_.php When the game ends, if the team holding the trophy wins, they run to their own sideline, take the axe and carry it around the field. If the team not holding the trophy wins, they are allowed to run to their opponents' sideline and "steal" the axe away.
Badger head coach Bret Bielema has used this tradition as a way of inspiring his players in practice the week before the game. For one practice, the axe is placed on a players bench and red-shirted players, dressed in Minnesota jerseys, would run to the axe and "steal" it in front of their teammates.
Game results
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See also
- Other Wisconsin traveling trophies:
- Heartland TrophyHeartland TrophyThe Heartland Trophy is a brass bull that is presented to the winner of the annual Iowa-Wisconsin football game. Although the rivalry is over one-hundred years old, the trophy is a relatively new addition. It was first presented in 2004 to Iowa, when they defeated Wisconsin 30–7...
(with IowaIowa Hawkeyes footballThe Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
)
- Heartland Trophy
- Other Minnesota traveling trophies:
- Floyd of RosedaleFloyd of RosedaleFloyd of Rosedale is the name of a bronze pig trophy that is awarded to the winner of the annual college football game between the Universities of Iowa and Minnesota...
(with IowaIowa Hawkeyes footballThe Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
) - Governor's Victory BellGovernor's Victory BellThe Governor's Victory Bell is awarded to the winner of each college football game between Minnesota and Penn State.-History:It was first presented in 1993 to commemorate Penn State's entry into the Big Ten Conference, with their first league game coming against the Golden Gophers. Penn State won...
(with Penn StatePenn State Nittany Lions footballThe Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
) - Little Brown JugLittle Brown Jug (football)The Little Brown Jug is an earthenware jug that serves as a trophy awarded to the winner of the American college football rivalry game played annually by the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team of the university of Minnesota and the Michigan Wolverines football team of the University of Michigan...
(with MichiganMichigan Wolverines footballThe Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
)
- Floyd of Rosedale
- Other long-running Division I FBS rivalries:
- Most-played rivalries in NCAA Division I FBSMost-played rivalries in NCAA Division I FBSThis is a list of the most played rivalries in the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I. Rivalries are not necessarily continuous. Rivalries which were not played in 2010, according to the source , are noted....
- Most-played rivalries in NCAA Division I FBS