Paul Bunyan's Axe

Paul Bunyan's Axe
Teams	Wisconsin Badgers Minnesota Golden Gophers
Originated	1948
Trophy Series	Wisconsin leads, 37-24-3
Current Holder	Wisconsin
Previous Trophy	Slab of Bacon

Paul Bunyan's Axe, named after the mythical giant lumberjack Paul Bunyan, is a prize awarded every year to the winner of the college football game between Minnesota and Wisconsin.

History

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 120 editions dating back to 1890. The Golden Gophers lead the all-time series, 59-54-8, while the Badgers lead the Axe's series, 37-24-3.

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.

Badger head coach Bret Bielema has used this tradition as a way of inspiring his players in practice the week before the game. For one practice, the axe is placed on a players bench and red-shirted players, dressed in Minnesota jerseys, would run to the axe and "steal" it in front of their teammates.

Game results

Year	Wisconsin		Minnesota		Location
1948	Wisconsin	0	Minnesota	16	Madison, WI
1949	Wisconsin	6	Minnesota	14	Minneapolis, MN
1950	Wisconsin	14	Minnesota	0	Madison, WI
1951	Wisconsin	30	Minnesota	6	Minneapolis, MN
1952	Wisconsin	21	Minnesota	21	Madison, WI
1953	Wisconsin	21	Minnesota	21	Minneapolis, MN
1954	Wisconsin	27	Minnesota	0	Madison, WI
1955	Wisconsin	6	Minnesota	21	Minneapolis, MN
1956	Wisconsin	13	Minnesota	13	Madison, WI
1957	Wisconsin	14	Minnesota	6	Minneapolis, MN
1958	Wisconsin	27	Minnesota	12	Madison, WI
1959	Wisconsin	11	Minnesota	7	Minneapolis, MN
1960	Wisconsin	7	Minnesota	26	Madison, WI
1961	Wisconsin	23	Minnesota	21	Minneapolis, MN
1962	Wisconsin	14	Minnesota	9	Madison, WI
1963	Wisconsin	0	Minnesota	14	Minneapolis, MN
1964	Wisconsin	14	Minnesota	7	Madison, WI
1965	Wisconsin	7	Minnesota	42	Minneapolis, MN
1966	Wisconsin	7	Minnesota	6	Madison, WI
1967	Wisconsin	14	Minnesota	21	Minneapolis, MN
1968	Wisconsin	15	Minnesota	23	Madison, WI

Year	Wisconsin		Minnesota		Location
1969	Wisconsin	10	Minnesota	35	Minneapolis, MN
1970	Wisconsin	39	Minnesota	14	Madison, WI
1971	Wisconsin	21	Minnesota	23	Minneapolis, MN
1972	Wisconsin	6	Minnesota	14	Madison, WI
1973	Wisconsin	17	Minnesota	19	Minneapolis, MN
1974	Wisconsin	49	Minnesota	14	Madison, WI
1975	Wisconsin	3	Minnesota	24	Minneapolis, MN
1976	Wisconsin	26	Minnesota	17	Madison, WI
1977	Wisconsin	7	Minnesota	13	Minneapolis, MN
1978	Wisconsin	48	Minnesota	10	Madison, WI
1979	Wisconsin	42	Minnesota	37	Minneapolis, MN
1980	Wisconsin	25	Minnesota	7	Madison, WI
1981	Wisconsin	26	Minnesota	21	Minneapolis, MN
1982	Wisconsin	24	Minnesota	0	Madison, WI
1983	Wisconsin	56	Minnesota	17	Minneapolis, MN
1984	Wisconsin	14	Minnesota	17	Madison, WI
1985	Wisconsin	18	Minnesota	27	Minneapolis, MN
1986	Wisconsin	20	Minnesota	27	Madison, WI
1987	Wisconsin	19	Minnesota	22	Minneapolis, MN
1988	Wisconsin	14	Minnesota	7	Madison, WI
1989	Wisconsin	22	Minnesota	24	Minneapolis, MN

Year	Wisconsin		Minnesota		Location
1990	Wisconsin	3	Minnesota	21	Madison, WI
1991	Wisconsin	19	Minnesota	16	Minneapolis, MN
1992	Wisconsin	34	Minnesota	6	Madison, WI
1993	Wisconsin	21	Minnesota	28	Minneapolis, MN
1994	Wisconsin	14	Minnesota	17	Madison, WI
1995	Wisconsin	34	Minnesota	27	Minneapolis, MN
1996	Wisconsin	45	Minnesota	28	Madison, WI
1997	Wisconsin	22	Minnesota	21	Minneapolis, MN
1998	Wisconsin	26	Minnesota	7	Madison, WI
1999	Wisconsin	20	Minnesota	17	Minneapolis, MN
2000	Wisconsin	41	Minnesota	20	Madison, WI
2001	Wisconsin	31	Minnesota	42	Minneapolis, MN
2002	Wisconsin	49	Minnesota	31	Madison, WI
2003	Wisconsin	34	Minnesota	37	Minneapolis, MN
2004	Wisconsin	38	Minnesota	14	Madison, WI
2005	Wisconsin	38	Minnesota	34	Minneapolis, MN
2006	Wisconsin	48	Minnesota	12	Madison, WI
2007	Wisconsin	41	Minnesota	34	Minneapolis, MN
2008	Wisconsin	35	Minnesota	32	Madison, WI
2009	Wisconsin	31	Minnesota	28	Minneapolis, MN
2010	Wisconsin	41	Minnesota	23	Madison, WI
2011	Wisconsin	42	Minnesota	13	Minneapolis, MN
Current series:			Wisconsin leads 37-24-3

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.