| First meeting | October 17, 1892 Minnesota, 14–6 |
|---|---|
| Latest meeting | October 7, 2023 Michigan, 52–10 |
| Next meeting | September 28, 2024, in Ann Arbor |
| Trophy | Little Brown Jug |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 105 |
| All-time series | Michigan leads, 77–25–3 (.748)[1] |
| Trophy series | Michigan leads, 72–23–2 (.753) |
| Largest victory | Michigan, 58–0 (2011) |
| Longest win streak | Michigan, 16 (1987–2004) |
| Current win streak | Michigan, 4 (2015–present) |
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The Little Brown Jug is a trophy contested between the Michigan Wolverines football team of the University of Michigan and the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team of the University of Minnesota. The Little Brown Jug is an earthenware jug that serves as a trophy awarded to the winner of the game.[2] It is one of the oldest and most played rivalries in American college football, dating to 1892. The Little Brown Jug is the most regularly exchanged rivalry trophy in college football, the oldest trophy game in FBS college football, and the second oldest rivalry trophy overall, next to the 1899 Territorial Cup (which did not become a travelling/exchange trophy until 2001), contested between Arizona and Arizona State (which did not become a four-year college until 1925).[3]
Both universities are founding members of the Big Ten Conference. As a result of the Big Ten not playing a complete round-robin schedule, Michigan and Minnesota occasionally did not play. In 2011, with the conference's initiation of divisional play, Michigan and Minnesota were both placed in the Big Ten's Legends division under the new two-division alignment. However, when the conference expanded again three years later, the teams were split into opposite divisions (Michigan in the East, Minnesota in the West). The conference stated there will be only one protected crossover matchup under the new alignment (Indiana vs. Purdue for the Old Oaken Bucket), meaning the rivalry will not be contested every year.[4]
With the addition of UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten Conference in 2024, the fate of this continued rivalry is up in the air, as Michigan and Minnesota were not classified as Protected Opponents, and are currently not scheduled for both a home and away game against each other in 2024 and 2025.
Michigan is the current holder of the jug with a 52–10 victory on October 7, 2023.[5][6] Through the end of the 2023 season, Michigan leads the series, 77–25–3.[7]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
serieswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Ken Magee; Jon M. Stevens (September 1, 2014). The Little Brown Jug: The Michigan-Minnesota Football Rivalry. Arcadia Publishing Incorporated. ISBN 978-1-4396-4701-1.
- ^ Official 2007 NCAA Division I Football Records Book (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 25, 2008.
- ^ "Report: U-M, MSU to play in Big Ten 'East'".
- ^ "No. 2 Michigan romps past Minnesota 52-10 with pair of pick-6s for 17th straight win in Big Ten". AP News. October 8, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
- ^ Meek, Austin. "Michigan takeaways: Wolverines leave no doubt at Minnesota as blowouts get more impressive". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
- ^ "The Little Brown Jug: One of college football's oldest trophies on the line for Michigan and Minnesota". NBC Sports. October 7, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2024.