Winner to take home trophy

Brian Manzullo

A trophy.

Both Central Michigan University and Western Michigan Universitys have teamed up to create a trophy that will be passed between the two schools.

Tony Voisin, director of Student Life, said the trophy adds pomp and circumstance to the game and rivalry.

“It’s going to be fun to have some of that celebratory pageantry,” Voisin said.

The trophy consists of a brass cannon on top of a wooden base. Two sides of the trophy are labeled with the universities’ names and engraved with the years each team won.

Voisin said there have been conversations about a trophy for the past few years and a group was put together to come up with ideas. A cannon was chosen, he said.

“They agreed the cannon would make the most sense because both universities fire off a cannon,” Voisin said. “That was the one that both student bodies were in support of.”

Paul Pridgeon, Montgomery senior and Student Gov’t Association president, said although the game has always been a big deal, the trophy will add to it.

“It becomes a symbol of the game that extends year to year,” Pridgeon said.

Mike Dabbs, assistant director of marketing for the athletics department, said the trophy will debut Friday during a pep rally.

Last year, a Facebook group, “The Battle for the Saddle,” was started to gain support for a trophy.

Voisin said the trophy cost about $800 and SGA and WMU’s student government associations will split the cost.

The trophy does not have an official name yet.

CMU and WMU are not the first universities to have traveling trophies. Some of the more well-known trophies include the Megaphone for Notre Dame vs. Michigan State University, the Little Brown Jug for University of Michigan vs. University of Minnesota and Paul Bunyan’s Axe for the University of Wisconsin vs. Minnesota battle, to list a few.

Student Section

Kelly/Shorts Stadium’s student section will not have a name this season.

The SGA is scrapping its quest for a name until next school year.

Pridgeon said after starting the search, SGA and the athletics department were busy with Homecoming and Central/Western Weekend and not enough time and attention could be dedicated to the student section.

“It’s too much to try to get done before three football games,” Pridgeon said.

SGA and the athletics department originally wanted to name the student section by the Sept. 27 football game against University of Buffalo.

Kelly/Shorts Stadium would not have been the only college football stadium with a named student section. Michigan State University’s Spartan Stadium has the Corner Blitz.

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