CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - The 22nd ranked Illinois football team is prepared to go on the road for the third time this season, this time against Purdue (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) in West Lafayette, Indiana.

"The Cannon" trophy is one of two annual trophy rivalries on the Illini football calendar, with the winner between Illinois and the Boilermakers claiming the prize. The orange and blue won back the trophy in 2024 with a 50-49 overtime win in Champaign.

"One of the greatest things about our conference is the trophy games, Bret Bielema said. "I think when we were talking about realignment, even the first time, you know, back in the early 2000 when we brought in a couple schools that added Maryland and Rutgers, and we brought in more schools. Obviously we brought in the four new schools, the trophy things always kept coming up."

For fans and programs alike, as the Big Ten conference expanded, many were concerned about scheduling, along with maintaining the tradition and competitive nature between certain schools. After the additions of UCLA, USC, Washington, and Oregon, the Big Ten assured teams would protect two annual rivalry games on their calendars. For the Illini, those games include Purdue and Northwestern for the "Land of Lincoln" trophy.

"This year we've had the hat, 'The Cannon', and the Cheez-It [Citrus Bowl] trophy," Bielema said. "Those trophies were very popular on the circuit. People want to take pictures with them. So I think that's part of it... Just the long history of it and it's a part of something that comes before you're here and it goes on after you're gone."

Illinois and Purdue's rivalry dates back to 1890, with 'The Cannon' making its debut in 1943. The Boilermakers closely lead the overall series 48-46-6. According to both school's athletic departments, in 1905 a group of students took the cannon to Champaign with the intent of firing it following an expected win. While the Boilermakers won the game 29-0, Illinois supporters found it in a hiding place and confiscated the cannon. Quincy A. Hall took the cannon to his farmhouse near Milford, Illinois, where it survived a fire and gathered dust until Hall suggested it be used as a trophy in the 1940s.

Bielema also reflected on his time coaching at Iowa and Wisconsin. He joked about recruiting early in his career, posing with the "Floyd of Rosedale" trophy, a bronze pig granted to the winner of Iowa vs. Minnesota. Bielema also spoke to the importance of winning "Paul Bunyan's Axe" between Wisconsin and Minnesota.

"I remember I was carrying it on the parking lot, and it was like I was carrying, like a lotto ticket, like people coming up, taking pictures," Bielema reflected.

The Illini and Coach B will aim to retain "The Cannon" this Saturday when the game kicks off at 11am.

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