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Slab of Bacon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
They played for this before the Axe. After the Gophers' 1943 victory, a ceremonial exchange was supposed to take place, but the officials involved could not find each other on the field. Wisconsin sent the trophy to Minnesota's locker room. The Gophers' coach at the time, Dr. George Hauser, refused to accept it, stating he believed "such trophies should be out for the duration" (of World War II). The trophy disappeared and was replaced by Paul Bunyan's Axe in 1948.
The Slab of Bacon was missing until 1994, when it was discovered in a storage room at the Wisconsin Athletic Department during a renovation of Camp Randall Stadium. Although allegedly "lost," it had been maintained: once officially "found," the scores of every Wisconsin-Minnesota game from 1930 through 1970 were evident on the back of the slab.
The Slab of Bacon is currently housed in the Wisconsin football office at Camp Randall Stadium. "We took home the bacon," then-head coach Barry Alvarez said, "and kept it."
Minnesota won the 1943 game, and then in 1947, 1948 after the war was over.
They played for this before the Axe. After the Gophers' 1943 victory, a ceremonial exchange was supposed to take place, but the officials involved could not find each other on the field. Wisconsin sent the trophy to Minnesota's locker room. The Gophers' coach at the time, Dr. George Hauser, refused to accept it, stating he believed "such trophies should be out for the duration" (of World War II). The trophy disappeared and was replaced by Paul Bunyan's Axe in 1948.
The Slab of Bacon was missing until 1994, when it was discovered in a storage room at the Wisconsin Athletic Department during a renovation of Camp Randall Stadium. Although allegedly "lost," it had been maintained: once officially "found," the scores of every Wisconsin-Minnesota game from 1930 through 1970 were evident on the back of the slab.
The Slab of Bacon is currently housed in the Wisconsin football office at Camp Randall Stadium. "We took home the bacon," then-head coach Barry Alvarez said, "and kept it."
Minnesota won the 1943 game, and then in 1947, 1948 after the war was over.
