TCU Football
TCU and Baylor square off in football this weekend at Amon G. Carter Stadium in what will be a historic meeting.
The 119th meeting on Saturday will become the longest-standing college football rivalry in the state of Texas, overtaking Texas and Texas A&M.
Take a minute to wrap your head around that one.
And through the diplomatic channels of student statecraft comes this agreement between these archrivals: a new name for the game.
The annual game will be called The Bluebonnet Battle, agreed upon after a monthslong initiative led by the student governments of both schools. It was selected to pay homage to the state of Texas and the prairies in which both schools reside, according to a press release.
The rivalry was formalized through the passage of a resolution by the student government legislatures.
“This is a rivalry established by students, for students, and acts as a proud tradition that will be carried on by future generations of TCU Horned Frogs and Baylor Bears,” said Joe Winick, TCU’s Student Body president. “Our sesquicentennial year began with a National Championship appearance and ends with The Bluebonnet Battle.”
The winner of The Bluebonnet Battle will also receive a trophy in the shape of a circular battle shield, hand-forged in steel by Baylor alumnus Bryant Stanton of Stanton Studios in Waco, Texas.
The face of the shield features:
- The logos of both universities
- An outline of the state of Texas adorned with bluebonnets on each side and boldly displaying the rivalry’s official name
- The year 1899, when Baylor and TCU first met on the gridiron
- The trophy is two-and-a-half feet wide and rests in a mesquite wooden base, embellished with the lone star of Texas.
“I very much appreciate TCU Student Body President Joe Winick and Vice President Dominic Mendlik for their leadership in making the Bluebonnet Battle a reality,” said TCU Athletic Director Jeremiah Donati. “We are proud of our association with Baylor as not just members of the Big 12 Conference, but also in sharing a rich football history together.
“With 118 all-time meetings, we have played Baylor more than any other opponent. It is a great and healthy rivalry as evidenced by being one of just four protected annual games in the new Big 12 scheduling matrix.”
Big 12 officials last week preserved the game as one of four conference rivalry games to be played each year. This year’s game will be played at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
In October 1899, when both campuses were located in Waco, Baylor and TCU met for the first time as crosstown rivals with the game resulting in a 0-0 tie. In 1910, TCU moved to its current home in Fort Worth and the rivalry continued.
In the years since, the rivalry has become storied with 36 shutouts and 44 games ending within seven points. Recently, the game has had national implications: In 2014, a Baylor win eliminated TCU from the College Football Playoff conversation.
