Trophy Rivalries
Old Oaken Bucket
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One of the oldest and most prestigious football trophies in the nation, the Old Oaken Bucket goes annually to the winner of the Purdue-Indiana football battle.
While the presentation of the trophy dates 86 years, the bucket itself is more than 100 years old.
The bucket was found, in a bad state of repair and covered with moss and mold, on the old Bruner farm between Kent and Hanover in southern Indiana, after the Chicago alumni groups of both Purdue and Indiana enthusiastically decided in 1925 that a traditional trophy for the winner of the gridiron clash would be appropriate.
Russell Gray of Purdue and Dr. Clarence Jones of Indiana were given the task of finding a suitable trophy. They recommended that "an old oaken bucket would be a most typical trophy from this state and should be taken from a well somewhere in Indiana."
Purdue's Fritz Ernst and Whiley J. Huddle of Indiana found the fabled bucket and it is said that Confederate General Morgan's command used it during an incursion into Indiana during the Civil War. It has had an equally storied history since 1925, several times having been kidnapped by partisans from both schools - a couple of times missing so long that it was given up as lost, only to turn up mysteriously just before or after the annual game.
The time-worn bucket was presented as a prize by the late George Ade, distinguished humorist from Purdue, and the late Harry Kurrie, then president of the Monon Railroad, representing Indiana.
The first game ended in a 0-0 tie, resulting in the "I-P" link attached to the bucket. Since then, there have been 55 "P" links, 27 "I" links and two additional "I-P" links attached to the chain. Purdue won the 2011 meeting 33-25 in Bloomington.
Cannon
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It all started in 1905 when a group of Purdue students took the weapon to Champaign in anticipation of firing it to celebrate a victory. Although Purdue did win the game 29-0, Illinois supporters, including Quincy A. Hall, had discovered the Cannon in its hiding place - in a culvert near the old Illinois field - and confiscated it before the Purdue students could start their "booming" celebration.
Later, Hall moved the Cannon to his farmhouse near Milford, Ill., where it survived a fire and gathered dust until Hall suggested it be used as a trophy in the football series between the two schools when the rivalry was resumed in 1943 after a 12-year lapse.
The Tomahawk Service and Leadership Honorary at Purdue and Illini Pride now share the maintenance duty. Purdue won the 2011 meeting 21-14 in West Lafayette - its sixth victory in the last seven matchups - and leads the Cannon Series 31-27-2.
Shillelagh
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The newest of the three trophies, the Shillelagh was donated in 1957 by the late Joe McLaughlin, a merchant seaman and a Fighting Irish fan who brought the club from Ireland.
Following each Boilermaker-Irish football game, a football with the winner's initial and the final score is attached to the Shillelagh's stand.
Purdue broke an 11-year Irish winning streak with a 28-17 victory in West Lafayette in 1997. Notre Dame won the last meeting 38-10 in West Lafayette in 2011.
Monon Spike
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A little incentive was added to the series in 1981 with the creation of the Monon Spike. The traveling trophy is presented to the winning team after one of the two annual matches.
Donna Hardesty and Anne McMenamy, seniors on the 1981 Purdue team, created the trophy idea. They set out to find an object that would be a reminder of the competition on the court, as well as something rich with the tradition of the state of Indiana. They chose the Spike from the Monon Railroad, which originated in Indiana in the late 19th century. It was taken from a portion of railroad track in Lafayette. The trophy was unveiled at a media luncheon Sept. 2, 1981, at the Lafayette Country Club.
As with its sister trophy, the Old Oaken Bucket, a "P" or an "I" link is added to the chain signifying the season's winner. The Spike currently has 26 "P" links and 12 "I" links.
The Boilermakers won 24 consecutive matches against Indiana from 1978 to 1985, including 10 straight Spike matches.
In recent history, Purdue has won 12 of the last 16 Spike matches.
The Boilermakers lead the overall series, which is the oldest in volleyball program history, 55-33 through the 2011 season.
Barn Burner Trophy
Beginning with the 1993-94 season, the Purdue and Indiana women's basketball teams have played an annual game for the Barn Burner Trophy. The traveling trophy is similar in concept to football's Old Oaken Bucket, volleyball's Monon Spike and soccer's Golden Boot. It is a wood plaque with a drawing of a barn and an attached basketball hoop, which best describes basketball in Indiana.
Sara Lee Corporation funded the plaque as part of its Discover Women's Sports Program.
Purdue has won 15 of the 18 Barn Burner Trophy meetings, including the first three contests and 12 of the last 13. The Boilermakers won 55-50 in Bloomington on Jan. 9, 2011.
In the overall series, Indiana won 17 of the first 19 meetings from 1975-76 to 1986-87, but Purdue has turned the tables by winning 44 of the last 52 to take a 46-25 advantage.
Golden Boot
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After each victory, the winning team takes the trophy home and adds a letter to the chain attached to the gold-dipped soccer shoe. On each letter is engraved the date and score of the match it represents. The first letter on the chain is an "I," marking Indiana's overtime win in the inaugural meeting between the intrastate rivals in 1999. The next five letters are "P"s, denoting Purdue's five subsequent victories. In 2005, the teams battled to a 1-1 tie, keeping the Golden Boot Trophy in West Lafayette for a sixth consecutive year. The Boilermakers have now kept a spot in the trophy case warm by winning the Golden Boot for 12 straight seasons after defeating the Hoosiers 8-2 in West Lafayette in 2011.
The concept for the creation of a trophy to match football's Old Oaken Bucket and women's basketball's Barn Burner originally was discussed in 1998. But it was not until 2002, when former Purdue assistant Ian Rickerby joined new Indiana coach Mick Lyon on the Hoosier staff, that the Golden Boot came to fruition. Purdue head coach Rob Klatte convinced Lyon that a traveling rivalry trophy would increase the significance of each meeting between the traditional rivals. Both coaching staffs pursued its design, which was completed in the fall of 2002.
