The University of Wisconsin and the University of Minnesota announced that the Paul Bunyan Axe, the trophy awarded annually to the victor of the Wisconsin Badgers-Minnesota Golden Gophers football game, will be displayed at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind.
The axe was first awarded in 1948 to the Gophers after The National W Club created the trophy specifically for the heated border rivalry.
\The axe has come to represent the importance of the Minnesota-Wisconsin rivalry,"" said Minnesota Athletic Director Joel Maturi. ""We are very pleased to be able to showcase both the axe and the history of this rivalry at the College Football Hall of Fame, while still providing both institutions with a new symbol for the future.""
The axe will be sent with a helmet from each school, and Wisconsin is also sending the game football from the 1918 game.
""It certainly seemed appropriate to help protect the future of the trophy by creating more space for future scores and making it more durable,"" said Wisconsin Athletic Director Pat Richter. ""We're pleased to join with Minnesota in giving this historic football symbol to the hall.""
It was reported that one of the reasons the Axe was sent to the College Football Hall of Fame was because it started to become less durable after post-game celebrations by winning teams. The stability combined with the need to add more scores was the reason for creating a second axe in 2000.
UW and Minnesota have played 113 games versus each other, the longest rivalry in Division I-A football.
-Compiled from staff reports
