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(nickel trophy) The Nickel Trophy, 250 times larger than a regular five-cent piece and weighing 75 pounds, was inaugurated in 1938 and is presented each fall to the winner of the North Dakota-North Dakota State football battle. Two inches thick and 22 inches in diameter, it is an exact replica of the once-minted U.S. coin. It has been the object of many intercampus raids, recoveries, and more thefts. The late Robert Kunkel, a UND alumnus and Chicago advertising executive, was the originator of the trophy. Blue Key, an honorary service fraternity on each campus, awards the nickel trophy. UND and NDSU have each enjoyed a 12-game winning stretch.

Trophy holder: UND won 28-21 on Oct. 18, 2003, in Grand Forks
Current streak: UND has won the last 3 nickel trophy competitions
Nickel-winning record: UND leads 35-30
All-time UND vs NDSU record: UND leads 62-45-3
What happens when the Sioux meet the Bison twice in a season?
This first occurred in 1945 when the Sioux won the their first contest against the Bison and lost the second. Since both were regular season matchups, the Sioux held the trophy for only 7 days, after which they lost to the Bison in a Fargo rematch and surrendered the trophy.

In 1992, UND would have faced NDSU in the playoffs if both had won their first round contests. UND lost, so no formal decision was made; however, the consensus opinion was that the regular season victor, NDSU, would have kept the trophy.

In 1994, the Sioux faced the Bison in the playoffs for the first time and the NDSU Blue Key club agreed before the contest that the trophy should stay with the winner of the regular season matchup. UND went on to win that post-season matchup. In recognition that playoff meetings were becoming more likely, the Blue Key club amended its constitution to clarify that the nickel trophy should be awarded to the winner of the regular season contest.

The situation occurred again the very next season, 1995, when the Sioux had again won the regular season matchup and faced the Bison in the playoffs. The precedent established, the nickel trophy stayed with the Sioux despite their post-season loss to NDSU.

Nickel trophy eligible NDSU vs. UND games:

Game DateUNDNDSUVictor
10/29/381317NDSU
10/28/39180UND
10/26/40240UND
10/25/41206UND
10/24/421426NDSU
10/20/452012UND
10/27/45726NDSU
10/19/46031NDSU
10/18/472520UND
10/30/48719NDSU
10/29/49136UND
10/28/50330UND
10/27/513314UND
10/25/521314NDSU
10/31/53266UND
10/30/54407UND
10/29/55210UND
10/20/56147UND
10/19/5790UND
10/18/58360UND
10/17/592015UND
10/15/60167UND
10/21/61266UND
10/20/62307UND
10/19/63217UND
10/17/642013UND
10/18/6536NDSU
10/22/661518NDSU
10/21/671034NDSU
10/19/68814NDSU
10/18/691464NDSU
10/17/70320NDSU
Game DateUNDNDSUVictor
10/16/71237UND
10/21/721722NDSU
10/20/731421NDSU
10/19/743120UND
10/18/753417UND
10/23/761522NDSU
10/22/772045NDSU
10/21/782421UND
10/13/79147UND
10/4/803820UND
9/26/81731NDSU
9/18/82310NDSU
10/29/83623NDSU
10/27/84314NDSU
11/16/85049NDSU
11/15/861362NDSU
11/14/871042NDSU
11/12/882734NDSU
11/11/89021NDSU
11/10/901442NDSU
11/16/912835NDSU
11/14/921920NDSU
10/30/932221UND
10/29/943413UND
11/4/95217UND
11/8/963319UND
10/18/971031NDSU
10/17/983925UND
10/02/991310UND
9/30/001316NDSU
10/6/01197UND
10/12/02126UND
10/18/032821UND

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