New Trophy Game?

I just watched dalukes' YouTube video about the Minnesota-Nebraska rivalry and the teams fighting over the "$5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy" and it got me wondering, should Illinois start a new in conference trophy game? We have the "Land of Lincoln" with NW, "Illibuck" with OSU, and "Purdue Cannon" with Purdue. Who should we pair up with for a new trophy?

For Iowa, maybe fight over a wooden ear of corn and call it something like the 'Cornbelt Trophy' because both states are the top corn producers every year? Wisconsin, maybe fight over a rock/stone and tie it in with the Rock River, which flows through both states? Indiana, maybe something about the Wabash River?

What do you think? Should we start a trophy with another B1G team? If yes, who and what should we fight over?

I like The Wabash Border War or some such similar thing for Indiana.

Maybe the Soy Glazed Pork Trophy for Iowa? Not sure if that is especially good or that I'm just really hungry right now.

Unless it's for the Mizzou rivalry, I don't personally like the optics of trying to find a new trophy game. We already get enough crap from schools over us being everyone's secondary rivalry and with Northwestern just not having the consistent fan support for our games to really matter all that much to fans (relative to how much fans should care about their primary rival). Trying to create another trophy game with a school would just put a bigger spotlight on our unfortunate rivalry situation IMO.

The other thing is who would it even be if it wasn't Mizzou? IU and Michigan are both listed as rivals on Wikipedia, but that's basically the only place I've seen either of those rivalries mentioned. We don't really talk about them as rivals, they don't talk about us as a rival, and I've never seen the media refer to either game as a rivalry. Iowa is a rival in basketball, but that energy hasn't really ever made its way over to football. I know some Illinois fans don't like them on that level, but those feelings aren't shared by most of our fanbase nor are they shared by Iowa fans.

Rivalries just aren't something you can manufacture, so unless it's for Mizzou (and idk if they'd want one since rivalry trophies are mostly a B1G thing), there isn't really an option for us without it being awkwardly forced upon the fans.

MoCoMdIllini said:

I like The Wabash Border War or some such similar thing for Indiana.

Maybe the Soy Glazed Pork Trophy for Iowa? Not sure if that is especially good or that I'm just really hungry right now.

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For Iowa, I think a trophy incorporating a piece of corn from the Morrow Plots would be cool

Shief said:

I just watched dalukes' YouTube video about the Minnesota-Nebraska rivalry and the teams fighting over the "$5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy" and it got me wondering, should Illinois start a new in conference trophy game? We have the "Land of Lincoln" with NW, "Illibuck" with OSU, and "Purdue Cannon" with Purdue. Who should we pair up with for a new trophy?

For Iowa, maybe fight over a wooden ear of corn and call it something like the 'Cornbelt Trophy' because both states are the top corn producers every year? Wisconsin, maybe fight over a rock/stone and tie it in with the Rock River, which flows through both states? Indiana, maybe something about the Wabash River?

What do you think? Should we start a trophy with another B1G team? If yes, who and what should we fight over?

View attachment 39911

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No.

We should have had one with Iowa decades ago (they’re a much more interesting and natural rival than Purdue, and I won’t entertain arguments to the contrary lol), but I agree now it’s a bit forced.