Recently, a plan was announced by the North Dakota State University chapter of the Blue Key Honor Society to keep the vaunted Nickel Trophy in circulation between NDSU and the University of North Dakota. For those of you unfamiliar with the story, the Nickel Trophy is (rather, was) a trophy that traveled to the school that won the annual football game between NDSU and UND. Now, with NDSU’s transition to Division I athletics, UND refuses to play NDSU in any sports. (Rant From February 10, 2004.) As I understand it, the Blue Key Honor Society owns the giant Nickel and only NDSU has a chapter, UND does not. The idea that the Blue Key Honor Society came up with was to continue a “nickel drive” that has been ongoing for many years at both schools and whatever school raised the most money for charity in this “nickel drive” would get the Nickel. (Article at In-Forum.com Registration May Be Required.) Frankly, I think this is a silly idea. As many in Grand Forks, including the mildly retarded Ryan Bakken of the Grand Forks Herald (Article) has pointed out, this is a football trophy. I agree, this is a football trophy. The only problem is that it is UND that is killing the annual tradition, not NDSU. And the trophy is owned by the Blue Key Honor Society. So, rationally, the owners of this trophy are the Blue Key Honor Society and NDSU.
I find it to be a huge coincidence that only after UND defeated NDSU in one of the best games in the long rivalry, did they then decide not to play NDSU any longer in football, or any other sports. I can guarantee that had NDSU won the game last fall, UND would be begging NDSU for a rematch in football to try and get their hands back on the Nickel Trophy. But, since UND did win the game and now holds the Nickel, they refuse to continue the rivalry. It’s quite clear when you look at UND’s philosophy on football that they will not play any quality teams that they don’t have to. (Rant on October 21, 2003. Can you say Minnesota-Crookston?) Should UND continue playing NDSU and should they be able to defeat the mighty Bison, then they should maintain the trophy. I could understand UND keeping this trophy had it been NDSU ending the rivalry, with UND wanting to continue playing. But since UND has killed this rivalry by refusing to play quality opponents such as NDSU, they have no right to any claim on this trophy.
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