Football Badgers Add Trophy Game Versus Iowa
October 28, 2004 | Football
The most evenly competitive football series in the Big Ten has received an added boost with the creation of the Heartland Trophy, which will go to the winner of the annual football game between Wisconsin and Iowa beginning this year. Director of Athletics and Head Football Coach Barry Alvarez made the announcement in conjunction with Iowa AD Bob Bowlsby Wednesday.
The Heartland Trophy, a bull that measures 30 inches tall, 36 inches long and 18 inches deep, will become the second traveling trophy for which the Badgers compete. The Paul Bunyan Axe goes to the winner of the Wisconsin-Minnesota football game each year in what is college football's most-played rivalry (113 years).
'This trophy is a terrific opportunity to further showcase a great Midwestern college football rivalry,' said Alvarez. 'Having served on the football staffs at both institutions, I'm very aware of how much the match-up means to fans as well as student-athletes of both schools. Playing for the Heartland Trophy adds another dimension to what is already a highly anticipated annual competition for college football bragging rights.'
'We're delighted to introduce this traveling trophy to all Hawkeye and Badger fans,' said Bowlsby. 'The Iowa-Wisconsin series has always been one of the most competitive and hard fought series in college football. The bull on the top of the trophy symbolizes the kind of games that have been typical when the schools meet. It's a trophy that will be treasured by the winning team each year. '
The Badger-Hawkeye series is the most-balanced in conference annals with Wisconsin holding a 39-38-2 all-time series edge. UW won the first six games in the series, which began in 1894, and also registered winning streaks of five games (1949-53, 1962-66 and 1997-2001). Iowa was unbeaten in the rivalry for 18 games (17-0-1) from 1977-96.
The bull was designed and produced by artist Frank Strub, a former Iowa football player living in Des Moines. The Heartland Trophy, like all the other Big Ten traveling trophies, will remain with the winner until the next game. The trophy will officially be unveiled in pre-game ceremonies Nov. 20 when Wisconsin meets Iowa in Iowa City.
There are now 16 trophy games involving Big Ten institutions. The most-recent additions prior to the Heartland Trophy were the Governor's Victory Bell (Penn State vs. Minnesota) and the Land Grant Trophy (Penn State vs. Michigan State) in 1993.
The Big Ten allows each of it member institutions to have protected rivalries with two league members. Those two schools ' in UW's case, Minnesota and Iowa ' are on the team's football schedule annually. With the introduction of the Heartland Trophy, the Badgers will now compete for a trophy in each of those annual rivalries.
