Knock Big Ten football all you want, but when it comes to trophies, no conference in the country can match. Among others, Big Ten teams play for a turtle, a bronze pig, a bucket with bling, a bull, an axe, a jug and a hat.
Almost every Big Ten West Heartland game now has a rivalry trophy now
With Nebraska and Wisconsin adding the Freedom Trophy, there are now five trophies at stake in the six games among Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. Let’s go for one more.
The Big Ten West — specifically the four Heartland teams: Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin — has a particular affinity for trophy games. Of the six games those teams play against each other each year, four already have trophy games, and they’ve just added one more:
#Badgers & #Huskers introduce Freedom Trophy: depicts each team's stadium, honors veterans http://t.co/KVIXC92Sdg pic.twitter.com/rpPqTT4N47
— Badger Football (@BadgerFootball) November 10, 2014 So that means five of the six Heartland rivalry games will have a trophy.
| Game | Trophy |
| Iowa vs. Minnesota | Floyd of Rosedale |
| Iowa vs. Nebraska | Heroes Trophy |
| Iowa vs. Wisconsin | Heartland Trophy |
| Minnesota vs. Wisconsin | Paul Bunyan's Axe |
| Nebraska vs. Wisconsin | Freedom Trophy |
Currently, Minnesota-Nebraska is the only game in that foursome not to have a trophy, and while those two schools seem to have virtually nothing in common, Minnesota running back David Cobb said in the summer he plans on turning Minnesota-Nebraska into a competitive annual series.
“Right now, we don’t play for a trophy, but we definitely play for a lot of respect,” Cobb said.
Could that, against all odds, turn into a trophy game? Well, this is the Big Ten West; there has to be some sort of antique item or farm animal to play for eventually.
This story is an updated version of one from July.
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