Missouri - Nebraska Bell

The Missouri-Nebraska bell exchange awarded to the winner of the Nebraska and Missouri football game annually. The exchange is organized by the Innocents Society of Nebraska and QEBH of Missouri.

History

The tradition dates back to 1892, when the bell was taken from a church in Seward, Nebraska by members of Nebraska fraternities Phi Delta Theta and Delta Tau Delta. At the time, the members of the two fraternities occupied the same house. When the two groups moved into separate houses, there was a dispute over who should keep the bell. Annual scholastic or athletic contests were held, with the bell being used as a trophy. This rivalry abated, yet still the ownership of the bell was left in question.

In 1926, the athletic director at Missouri, Chester D. Brewer, suggested an annual award be established for the annual Missouri-Nebraska football game. The bell was selected to be the prize to end the conflict between the fraternities, and an 'M' and an 'N' were engraved on opposite sides of the bell. The exchange was coordinated by the Innocents Society and Missouri’s prestigious Q.E.B.H. Society. Missouri won the first game in 1927 7-6, and the scores from the games are engraved on the bell stand until 1954. In 2005, the scores were updated to the current date.

[http://www.unl.edu/innocent/history.html] [http://mutigers.cstv.com/trads/miss-mascot-trophy.html]

Series History