Student and university leaders from TCU and Baylor held a press conference on Monday to officially unveil a new rivalry nickname and trophy ahead of the teams’ battle in Fort Worth on Saturday.
The rivalry will now be known as the “Bluebonnet Battle,” an ode to the official state flower that is abundant in fields along I-35, the interstate highway connecting Waco and Fort Worth.
“Rivalries are what make college football special, and we are very proud to partner with Baylor on the Bluebonnet Battle,” TCU head coach Sonny Dykes said in a joint press release. “Thank you to the Student Government Associations at both TCU and Baylor for their initiative in coming together to create this trophy. It’s a great testament to how important our annual game is to both universities and especially the student bodies.”
The project is the culmination of a collaboration between Baylor and TCU’s respective student government organizations that has been in the works since the end of the spring semester.
The trophy has two components: a battle shield and a wooden base. The shield depicts the TCU and Baylor logos surrounding a silhouette of the state of Texas in the middle, offset by bluebonnets and “1899,” the first year the schools met on the field. The base features “The Bluebonnet Battle” in text, surrounding the shield in a curved pattern with a start centered underneath.
The trophy will be challenging to carry, as it is two feet wide, and the base alone weighs 45 pounds.
TCU and Baylor will meet for the 119th time on Saturday in the longest-running rivalry between two Texas schools. The “Bluebonnet Battle” is one of four protected rivalries in the Big 12 beginning next season, joining Utah-BYU, Arizona-Arizona State, and Kansas-Kansas State.
“A priority for Baylor and TCU when we were talking through the future scheduling process for the Big 12 was to keep our game an annual matchup,” Baylor vice president and athletic director Mack Rhoades said. “This is the most-played game among Texas schools, and it means so much to our fans, coaches, and student-athletes. We appreciate the passion our fans have for this game and the thoughtfulness of both student governments in creating a moniker for this storied rivalry. We are looking forward to the trip to compete in Fort Worth this year and the many future matchups between our two great schools.”
TCU won last year’s game in Waco 29-28.
The Horned Frogs and Bears will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT at TCU’s Amon G. Carter Stadium.