Remember the Illibuck

The Illibuck

CHAMPAIGN, Ill - With the Michigan and Ohio State rivalry consistently being rated the biggest rivalry in college football, many overlook the history behind the battle for the Illibuck Trophy.

This rivalry between Illinois and Ohio State used to be the most anticipated game for both teams each year and it was the last game on their schedule.

Members of two junior honorary societies, Bucket and Dipper of Ohio State and Atius Sachem of Illinois, meet between the third and forth quarters of the game to present the Illibuck Trophy, a wooden turtle, to the winners of the previous year.

Ashley Aneloski, current President of Illinois' Atius Sachem Leadership Honorary, described two superstitions that both societies abide by during the "Illibuck Pass."

"The turtle must not touch the ground at any point during the pass and you must pass the turtle backwards over your head," Aneloski said. "I have no idea how the ceremonial passing came to be this way but we abide by it each and every year."

The Illibuck tradition started in 1925 when both schools decided to create a tradition that would chronicle their competitive history.

Because of their long life expectancy, a turtle was chosen to represent a rivalry that was destined to last. The first Illibuck was a snapping turtle that was selected and purchased from a Columbus fish market. Atius Sachem claimed that since the living turtle as so hard to care for, the losing team should be forced to take it.

The only living Illibuck died in 1927 in the bathtub of a fraternity at the University of Illinois. Since then wooden replicas have been used; the teams are currently on their ninth wooden turtle. In the past, the two honor societies also smoked a peace pipe at halftime, but this has not been done for many years.

Although the trophy's bizarre history might make it the most unique rivalry tradition in the Big Ten, the Illibuck is the Big Ten's second oldest Rivalry Trophy. The Little Brown Jug, which goes to the winner of the Minnesota-Michigan game, is the oldest and dates back to 1903.

While Illinois boasts three conference rivalry trophies – the Illibuck, the Purdue Cannon, and the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk
(Northwestern)- Ohio State's only rivalry trophy is the Illibuck.

Although Michigan has taken over in being Ohio State's biggest rival, the Buckeyes look forward to this game as well. Coach Tressel mentioned the trophy and its significance in his press conference this week.

"The honorary that gives the Illibuck back and forth between the two universities came in and shared [the tradition] -- and each year they share with our guys just so they have an awareness, that's really our only trophy, the only one we have with someone else," Tressel said.

When Penn State was added to the Big Ten in 1993, every member team was designated two "conference rivals" which they would play every year, while the other conference teams would be rotated. Because of Pennsylvania's close proximity to Ohio, Penn State was named "conference rival" to Ohio State. Ohio State's other rival is Michigan. After this decision, Illinois did not play Ohio State for the first time in the Illibuck's history during the 2003 and 2004 seasons.

Ohio State leads the series with a 56-22-2 mark, and Ohio State has had the trophy since they beat Illinois in 2002.

Bill Nesnidal is a Big Ten Network intern.