Peace Pipe (college football)

In college football, the Peace Pipe is a trophy awarded annually to the winner of the game between the University of Toledo and Bowling Green State University. The trophy is a miniature replica of an American Indian peace pipe sitting atop a trophy with both teams' logos.

The game is sometimes referred to as The Battle of I-75, as the cities of Toledo and Bowling Green are both located on Interstate 75, just 20 miles apart.

The rivalry between UT and BGSU goes back to 1919. The games were (and to an extent still are) marked by a passionate fan following and a hatred for the respective opponent. In 1935, fans rioted following a 63-0 blowout win by UT and as a result, BGSU removed the Rockets from their athletic schedule until 1947. That year, the smoking of a six-foot peace pipe was instated as a gesture of goodwill between the two teams at half-time of their annual basketball match. The peace pipe would be kept by the winning university until the teams played again the following season.

The tradition came to an abrupt and unpleasant end in 1969 when the pipe was stolen from the UT offices. It was never recovered and the thief never caught.

In 1980, the Peace Pipe trophy was reinstated when a scale-down replica was fashioned and placed on top of a trophy created by former UT football player Frank Kralik. Kralik donated the trophy to the university to be given to the winner of each year's football game, which like many other college football rivalries is usually the last game of the regular season for both teams.

Nowadays, ESPN annually broadcasts the Peace Pipe game, allowing it to reach a wide audience outside of northwest Ohio. Though the two schools play in different divisions in the Mid-American Conference, they have yet to meet in the MAC Championship Game.

Results

"Bowling Green victories shaded in ██ orange. Toledo victories are shaded ██ midnight blue. "