One of the wooden Illibuck Trophies
To help celebrate this weekend’s football game against the University of Illinois, our Fun Fact Friday is about the Illibuck Trophy.
Did you know that the original trophy traded between Ohio State and the University of Illinois was a live turtle?
The tradition between the two schools began in 1925 with the winner taking possession of the turtle until the following year’s game. The turtle was picked because of its long life expectancy and as a symbol for the beginning of a long rivalry with the schools.
In 1927, the original Illibuck turtle passed away. In the years since, ten wooden Illibucks have been used to carry on the tradition, and the score of each Ohio State/Illinois game is painted on the “shell.”
As the second oldest trophy passed between two Big Ten Conference teams, Ohio State currently leads the rivalry 65 to 30. The two teams play next on Saturday in Ohio Stadium for their 112th meeting.
Do you have a Fun Fact for Friday? Comment below and we may feature your response on the blog!