St. Cloud State vs. UMD - "Battle for the Bone"
BATTLE FOR THE BONE: Since 2017, "The Bone", a newly-introduced traveling trophy awarded to the winner of the annual UMD-St. Cloud State matchup. The Bulldogs and Huskies rivalry began back in 1933 -- the third year of intercollegiate football at UMD. The Bulldogs hold a razor-thin 25-24 series lead and are 11-2 in their last 13 meetings with St. Cloud State as of 2016.
Winona State vs. SMSU - "Battle for the Sledge"
BATTLE FOR THE SLEDGE: Saturday’s game will be the second annual “Battle for the Sledge”, presented by BIG Athletics and adidas. Here is the history behind the naming of the trophy game, “Battle for the Sledge”. During the 2008 season, Winona State would name a defensive player of the game from the previous week’s contest and award that player with a sledgehammer for the next week. During warm-ups of the WSU/SMSU game on Oct. 4 2008, a WSU player brought the sledgehammer to mid-field prior to the game while SMSU players looked on. SMSU went on to earn a 35-28 victory over WSU, snapping the Warriors’ seven-game winning streak in the series. Following the game, SMSU players ran over to the WSU sideline and grabbed the sledgehammer, celebrating the victory at midfield. With emotions running high for both teams following a hard-fought game, a WSU player went over to the SMSU sideline to get their sledgehammer back. SMSU gave the sledgehammer back and a rivalry was born. The series is tied 4-4 since the 2008 game. The trophy is a 7-foot tall Sledge Hammer with the team logos of both WSU and SMSU on each side of the trophy. In addition to the sledge trophy, BIG Athletics will also be providing two MVP trophies to be awarded to the most valuable player on each team. Running back Davontay Stevens was named SMSU’s MVP last season, while wide receiver Cameron Johnson earned the honor for WSU.
Augustana vs. Sioux Falls - Key to City
When Augustana College and the University of Sioux Falls played for the first time in 26 years at Kirkeby-Over Stadium on Oct. 13, 2012, a rivalry was renewed and a traveling trophy was introduced. The Vikings and Cougars battle for the "Key to the City" when they meet on the gridiron, with the winning team taking home a 4-foot tall key that was carved out of wood from an Aspen tree from the family farm of Arne Bortnem in Nunda, S.D. Bortnem is a local wood carver, who graduated from Augustana in 1965, that created the trophy that is battled for in the neighborhood rivalry game. Augustana College and the University of Sioux Falls are separated by just three blocks and began playing football against each other in 1922 but before the 2012 season had not played a football game since 1986. Augustana leads the all-time series 18-3 over Sioux Falls, with the Cougars winning the last three meetings.
University of Mary vs. MSU Moorhead - Battle for the Paddle
The first-ever gridiron match-up between U-Mary and Minnesota State University Moorhead took on a little extra edge in 2006 as both schools battled for The Paddle Trophy in this "River Rivalry" game. U-Mary is located on the Missouri River and MSU Moorhead is on the Red River. Both are Northern Sun North Division rivals. The Paddle Trophy was developed by the student governments of the two colleges. The team that wins each year is responsible for the safekeeping and delivery of the Paddle Trophy and its case to each game between the Marauders and Dragons. The home team's student body representative will award the Paddle Trophy, which has each school's logo on opposite sides of the blade, with the score of each game being added to the winning team's side after the game.
Minnesota State vs. St. Cloud State - Training Kit
Inaugurated in 1978, the Traveling Training Kit signifies the rivalry between the two longest-tenured Minnesota members of the former North Central Conference - and current Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference members – Minnesota State University and St.Cloud State University. The trophy features the MSU logo on a purple background on one side and the St. Cloud State logo on a red background on the other side. The winner of each year’s game takes home the coveted kit. Minnesota State and St. Cloud State started playing each other since the 1923 season, and have played at least once in every season since rekindling the rivalry in 1978 following a five-year break in the series.
Bemidji State vs. MSU Moorhead - The Battle Axe
Bemidji State and MSU Moorhead have been doing battle since 1929 with MSU Moorhead owning a 47-32-3 all-time advantage headed into 2015. Because of the history a traveling trophy, 'The Battle Axe' was created. The tradition is the second longest running Division II trophy game and has been exchanged 22 times in its existence. The Beavers have owned the recent history, winning 14 of the last 18 meetings.
Bemidji State vs. Minnesota, Crookston - The Hub Cap
Since 2004, the team have been playing for a traveling trophy, a Hubcap, to signify its Highway 2 rivalry. BSU is 11-1 in Hubcap games.
Univeristy of Mary and Minot State - "The Battle of the Big Lake"
The trophy features a bronze plaque in the shape of the great state of North Dakota and a wood base that will display the winning seasons for each team. The bronze plaque also features the two university logos and an etched topographical version of the Missouri River’s path through the state including Lake Sakakawea, forming the “Big Lake” – the nation’s third largest man-made lake – halfway between the two schools.
Minnesota, Crookston vs. Minnesota, Morris - “OSSIE”
“Ossie” has a much deeper historical value than one might know. The competition for the traveling trophy actually dates back to 1929. “Ossie”, formally named “Oswald”, was created when UMC was the Northwest School of Agriculture (NWSA), and the West Central School of Agriculture (WCSA) in Morris, began a relationship of athletic competition in football. In the 1929 inaugural event, during homecoming at Crookston, NWSA was defeated by WCSA, 20-0. “Ossie” resided in Morris for the first year until in the 2nd game, a 19-6 victory in 1930, the traveling trophy was reclaimed by NWSA and went home to Crookston. The dates and scores are engraved within the sides of the wooden icon from the years 1929-1964. After 1964, it seemed that the two schools ceased to compete for the trophy. Thirty years past by, then in1994, The University of Minnesota Crookston and The University of Minnesota Morris made a commitment to share a rivalry, and rekindle a long, but not lost, tradition from the past.