Paul Bunyan's Axe

Not to be confused with Paul Bunyan Trophy.

Minnesota–Wisconsin football rivalry
	Wisconsin logo
Teams	Minnesota Golden Gophers Wisconsin Badgers
First Meeting	1890
Trophy Originated	1948
All-Time Series	Minnesota leads, 58–56–8
Trophy Series	Wisconsin leads, 38–24–3
Current Holder	Wisconsin
Previous Trophy	Slab of Bacon

The Minnesota–Wisconsin football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team of the University of Minnesota and Wisconsin Badgers football team of the University of Wisconsin. Paul Bunyan's Axe, named after the mythical giant lumberjack, is the trophy awarded every year to the winner of the game.

History

File:Randall Field.jpg

Wisconsin vs Minnesota (13th meeting in the series), Randall Field, Wisconsin, 1904

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 122 editions dating back to 1890. The Golden Gophers lead the all-time series 58-56-8, while the Badgers lead the Axe series 38-24-3.

Earlier, the schools played for the Slab of Bacon, 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.[1] 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. Usually, after the winning team claims the axe, it is custom for the team to carry the axe to one of the goal posts and "chop" it down with the axe.

Game results

Year Wisconsin Minnesota Location Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game

Year Wisconsin Minnesota Location Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game

Year Wisconsin Minnesota Location Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Template:Paul Bunyan's Axe Game Current series: Wisconsin leads 38-24-3

See also

• Other Wisconsin traveling trophies:
  • Heartland Trophy (with Iowa)
• Other Minnesota traveling trophies:
  • Floyd of Rosedale (with Iowa)
  • Governor's Victory Bell (with Penn State)
  • Little Brown Jug (with Michigan)
• Other long-running Division I FBS rivalries:
  • Most-played rivalries in NCAA Division I FBS

References

• "Paul Bunyan's Axe - Minnesota vs. Wisconsin". GopherSports.com. http://www.gophersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&SPSID=39876&SPID=3280&DB_OEM_ID=8400&ATCLID=271627. Retrieved 2006-06-09.
• "Series History: Wisconsin vs. Minnesota". College Football Data Warehouse. http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/bigten/wisconsin/opponents_records.php?teamid=2030. Retrieved 2007-02-28.