The Illinois–Purdue football rivalry is an American

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

rivalry A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...

between the

Illinois Fighting Illini football The Illinois Fighting Illini football program represents the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) level. The Fighting Illini are a founding member of ...

team of the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the University ...

and

Purdue Boilermakers football The Purdue Boilermakers football team represents Purdue University in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of college football. Purdue plays its home games at Ross–Ade Stadium on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. ...

team of

Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...

. The Purdue Cannon is presented to the winner of the game. Purdue leads the series 47–45–6.

History

It all started in 1905 when a group of Purdue students took the Cannon to Champaign in anticipation of firing it to celebrate a Boilermaker victory. Although Purdue won 29–0, Illinois supporters, including Quincy A. Hall, discovered it in a culvert by the field and took it before the Purdue students could start their "booming" celebration. Hall later moved it to his farmhouse near Milford, Illinois, where it survived a fire and gathered dust until he suggested it be used as a trophy in the football series between the two schools when the rivalry resumed in 1943 after an 11-year lapse. It was presented at halftime to the schools' athletic directors,

Doug Mills Douglas Raymond "Gaga" Mills (April 9, 1907 – August 12, 1993), a native of Elgin, Illinois, was a high school and college basketball player and coach in the state of Illinois. During high school, Mills was the first player in the state to lead ...

and

Guy Mackey Mackey Arena is located in West Lafayette, Indiana. Part of the Purdue University campus, it is home to the university's basketball teams, and occasionally hosts home games for the volleyball and wrestling teams. The arena opened in 1967 as a repl ...

. Before the Cannon became an annual tradition, Illinois led the series 15–8–2. Through the Darrell Hazell years for Purdue and Lovie Smith years for Illinois, neither program wanted to acknowledge a deep hatred or even regard for the rivalry. For Purdue, they had Indiana University to worry about. For Illinois, they had to focus on trying to get a better bowl game than the Redbox. Bowl. But in recent history, the rivalry has picked up. The two teams are both desperate to be relevant in the ever expanding Big Ten, and based on the last three years, it seems like Purdue will be the victor of that competition as well. The cannon is now maintained by the Tomahawk Service and Leadership Honorary at Purdue and Illini Pride. Official Purdue Athletics Website - Traditions

Game results

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Illinois-Purdue football rivalry College football rivalries in the United States Illinois Fighting Illini football Purdue Boilermakers football Big Ten Conference rivalries

History

Game results

See also

References