Conversation and hype surrounding the most anticipated football game, Monon, has already started to surface on the DePauw campus. The Monon game is not just a game to students, during the week of the Monon game, DePauw holds many activities, concerts, debates and even blood drives. Even though the eagerness to beat Wabash is fresh in the spirits of DePauw students, the rivalry didn’t begin yesterday.
The rivalry between Wabash and DePauw University began in 1890, and is said to be the oldest rivalry that is west of the Alleghenies. Through the years, more than 100 games have been played between Wabash and DePauw University. In 1932, the treasured Monon bell was introduced as a traveling trophy by the Class of 1925 DePauw Alumnus, Orien Fifer, when he wrote a letter to the editor of The Indianapolis News.
In the days before overtime in football, Wabash and DePauw had nine ties recorded. In the case of a tie the Monon bell was awarded to the team who previously owned it. 1960 was an exciting victory for DePauw. DePauw previously had possession of the bell in 1958 and because of the 1959 tie they remained owners of the bell. In the 1960 game, DePauw scored a last minute touchdown and broke the Wabash lead to 13-12; DePauw then scored on the conversion and won 14-13. DePauw and Wabash did not play each other in the Monon game for five years due to different events. However, they have played each other ever since consecutively since 1911. DePauw last held the Monon Bell in 2008.
Around the time of the Monon game excited freshmen, upperclassmen, alumni, friends, family and faculty come out to support their beloved DePauw Tigers in the football game of the season. The players show up determined to win the 300pound bell that represents the history, blood, sweat and tears of all the players that came before them.
GO DEPAUW!