Draft:Rivalry cup

This page is about the concept. For a list of rivalry cups in Major League Soccer, see MLS rivalry cups. For sports rivalries in general, see sports rivalry.

A rivalry cup or rivalry trophy is a trophy that is awarded annually to the best team within a notable sports rivalry. They are usually commissioned by the supporters' groups of the involved teams, although in some cases they are also organized by the league itself. Unlike other secondary competitions such as a domestic cup or super cup, a rivalry cup is not a separate competition where the participating teams will have to play extra games during a season. Instead, the organizers will use the head-to-head results of the fixtures played between the rival teams, usually during the regular season. Rivalry cups are most common in Northern American association football, especially within Major League Soccer, and college gridiron football.

Major League Soccer rivalry cups

Main article: MLS rivalry cups

NCAA college football rivalry trophies

Main article: List of NCAA college football rivalry games

Other examples in association football

Cascadia Cup

Main article: Cascadia Cup

The Cascadia Cup is contested by the Portland Timbers, the Seattle Sounders FC, and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in Major League Soccer. Unlike most other MLS rivalry cups, the Cascadia Cup was founded in 2004 by the supporters of each club while they were all still playing in the USL A-League, prior to the clubs joining Major League Soccer between 2009 and 2011. It is currently the only rivalry cup in the MLS that is contested by three teams, rather than two.

Copa Tejas

Main article: Copa Tejas

The Copa Tejas is contested by all professional soccer teams in the state of Texas. A trophy is awarded to the Texan team with the best head-to-head record against other Texan opponents during the regular season. In total, the organizers award two trophies each year. One for the series between Major League Soccer teams, one for the series between USL Championship teams. In addition to the rivalry cups, the supporters also created a shield trophy which is awarded to the Texan team with the overall (not head-to-head) best regular season record, across all league competitions. The shield competition also includes Houston Dash, a women's soccer team that play in the National Women's Soccer League.

Voyageurs Cup

Further information: Voyageurs Cup

The Voyageurs Cup was initially awarded by supporters of the Canada men's national soccer team to the best Canadian soccer club playing in the USL First Division from 2002 to 2007. Using the results of regular season matches between Canadian clubs, a standings table was created each year, with the top team receiving the trophy. The trophy ceased to be a rivalry cup in 2008 after it was acquired by the Canadian Soccer Association, although it is still in use now as the trophy for the Canadian Championship, a separate domestic cup competition.

Wildrose Cup

Further information: Cavalry FC–FC Edmonton rivalry

A rivalry cup known as the Wildrose Cup was played for by rivals Cavalry FC and FC Edmonton, prior to the latter club folding in 2022.

Other examples in gridiron football

Pedro the Panda

Further information: Panda Game

Pedro the Panda is a trophy awarded to the winner of the annual regular season U Sports football game between the University of Ottawa and Carleton University.