The rivalry between the Bison and the Sioux began on a good note way back in 1894 when the Bison were known as the Farmers and the Sioux as the Flickertails or something. Anyway, whatever their name was, the University of North Dakota got romped on twice and all was good.

The series was hotly contested until 1906 when the North Dakota State crushed the University of North Dakota so badly that they refused venture forth for the second scheduled game in Fargo. So bad was their whipping that they decided not to play NDSU again until 1910, although they claimed that they were worried about riots or something.

For many years, the Bison and the Sioux, as the Flickertails became to be known, battled back and forth with North Dakota State usually getting the worst of it. On top of that, further acrimony resulted from the University of North Dakota's efforts to keep North Dakota State University from changing its name from North Dakota Agricultural College. Back in 1920s, NDSU students first lobbied to change the name but it was only after a forty-year battle with their meddling northern neighbor that they were finally allowed to put the matter before the voters who promptly approved the change by a two-to-one margin. On a clear winter's day with a breeze from the north, cup a hand to your ear and you can still detect the echoes of faint whining from the direction of University of North Dakota.

After the University of North Dakota adopted their current nickname, a bright UND graduate named Robert Kunkel came up with the idea of playing the game for a trophy in the form of a gigantic 1937 Buffalo head nickel. One and all recognized a truly inspired idea when they heard one, and by 1938, the two teams began to play for possession of the newly-minted trophy. So far the Bison have won it 29 times and the Sioux 32.

Winning alone does not guarantee possession of the prize because the losing side often steals the trophy. I will do more research on the history of this activity but the most elaborate caper was pulled off by some North Dakota State backers. The two perpetrators, Mr. Green and Mr. Yellow, dressed themselves as cleaners and presented themselves at the Sioux football players' lounge with a letter of introduction in the form of a bogus work order. They liberated the Nickel and etched their names into history. The Sioux have also stolen the Nickel at least once by hiding in a vent and waiting until dark. Hmm, hiding in a vent? Waiting until dark? They must have been UND law students.

In 1963, Darrell Mudra became coach. Up until that time, the Bison were a horrific 20-45-3 (.316) against their arch foe but starting with Mudra, the Bison learned to win and have gone 25-17-0 (.595) since then. Over the last ten years, the two teams have matched up very well and produced some excellent games.

You can usually spot a Sioux fan from a long distance because no self-respecting Bison fan is going to walk around in a mint green sweatshirt with a white turtleneck underneath it. Goat cheese and Volvos are also telltale signs of their presence. Do not approach them, although slow of wit and nearsighted, their sense of superiority is very acute and they could easily bore you to death. The average Sioux fan is pretty good-natured about the rivalry and when confronted with a Bison fan, is likely to lean back, give a chuckle, and say something like "If you want to work on a farm, go to NDSU. If you want to own the farm, go to UND." Since it's impossible to argue with something like that, a Bison fan might respond with something like, "Hey, that's a nice sweatshirt-turtleneck combo you've got there, Skipp or Tadd or Chipp or whatever you said your name was; do they have a men's department where you bought it?" Of course this works better if the Sioux fan is a male who hasn't seen "Footloose", but you get the idea.

The Bison and the Sioux have played more games (110) than any other two teams in Division II football history. Over 1 out of every 40 people in North Dakota attend the game when it's in Fargo and even if you can't get a ticket, the game is shown in sports bars around the country and is broadcast around the world on the Internet. Resistance is useless so you might as well pick a side and tune in.