Paul Bunyan Trophy

Paul Bunyan Trophy

The Michigan–Michigan State football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Michigan State Spartans football team of Michigan State University and Michigan Wolverines football team of the University of Michigan. The Paul Bunyan–Governor of Michigan Trophy is the trophy awarded to the winner of the game. The winner retains possession of the trophy until the next year's game. The trophy is currently held by the University of Michigan.

The naming of the trophy after the mythical giant lumberjack Paul Bunyan reflects Michigan's history as a major lumber-producing state. The trophy was first presented in 1953 (Michigan State's first year as a full Big Ten member) by then-governor G. Mennen Williams, and is a four-foot-high wooden statue on a five-foot-high base.

The University of Michigan and Michigan State University are natural in-state rivals who compete for resources and recruits. Their rivalry extends to all forms of achievement, including athletics. Some of their other athletic rivalries include a hockey rivalry and a basketball rivalry. Even though Michigan State did not join the Big Ten Conference until 1950, the two schools have played each other in football annually since 1910, and they first played each other in 1898.