View source for Governor's Victory Bell

{{Short description|College football rivalry}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox sports rivalry
| wide           = yes
| name           = 
| image          = 
| team1          = [[Minnesota Golden Gophers football|Minnesota Golden Gophers]]
| team1logo      = Minnesota Golden Gophers logo.svg
| team2          = [[Penn State Nittany Lions football|Penn State Nittany Lions]]
| team2logo      = Penn State wordmark.svg
| sport          = [[College football|Football]]
| firstmeeting   = September 4, 1993 <br> Penn State 38–20
| mostrecent     = November 23, 2024 <br> Penn State 26–25
| nextmeeting    = 2026
| total          = 17
| series         = Penn State leads {{Winning percentage|11|6|record=y}}
| largestvictory = Penn State, 56–3 (1994)
| longeststreak  = Penn State, 4 (1993–1998, 2005–2010) <br> Minnesota, 4 (1999–2004)
| currentstreak  = Penn State, 2 (2022–present)
| trophy         = Governor's Victory Bell<ref name="YDR1997"/>
| trophy series  = 
| stadiums       =
* [[Beaver Stadium]]
* [[Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome]]
* [[TCF Bank Stadium]]/[[Huntington Bank Stadium]]
}}

The '''Governor's Victory Bell''' is an American [[college rivalry]] trophy contested between the [[Minnesota Golden Gophers football|Minnesota Golden Gophers]] of the [[University of Minnesota]], and the [[Penn State Nittany Lions football|Penn State Nittany Lions]] of the [[Pennsylvania State University]].<ref name="YDR1997"/><ref name="CDT1993Bell"/><ref name="Athletic2024"/>

Both teams are members of the [[Big Ten Conference]]. Minnesota is a founding member, since 1896, while long-[[NCAA Division I FBS independent schools|independent]] Penn State joined in 1993. The Governor's Victory Bell trophy was created to commemorate Penn States' first Big Ten conference game, against Minnesota, on September 4, 1993.

The Governor's Victory Bell, alongside the [[Land Grant Trophy]], is one of Penn State's two traveling rivalry trophies.<ref name="NYTimes2014"/> It is Minnesota's fourth official trophy, behind the [[Little Brown Jug (college football trophy)|Little Brown Jug]], [[Floyd of Rosedale]], and [[Paul Bunyan's Axe]], and ranks the Golden Gophers [[List of Big Ten Conference football rivalry games|first in the Big Ten]] for number of in-conference rivalry trophies.<ref name="MD2023"/>

{{OSM Location map  
| nolabels = 1      
| coord = {{coord|43.7|-85.456}}
| zoom = 4
| width = 310 
| height = 190
| caption = Locations of Minnesota and Penn State
| mark1 = Yellow pog.svg
| label1 = Minnesota
| mark-coord1 = {{coord|44.984350|-93.220380}}
| label-pos1 = top
| label-color1 = black
| mark2 = Blue pog.svg
| label2 = Penn State
| mark-coord2 = {{coord|40.808623|-77.855536}}
| label-pos2 = top
| label-color2 = black
}}

==History==

Minnesota and Penn State had never played a game prior to the later team's entrance into the [[Big Ten]] in 1993.<ref name="AP2019Forced"/> The long-[[NCAA Division I FBS independent schools|independent]] Nittany Lions were matched with the Golden Gophers for their first-ever in-conference game, and their first game of the 1993 season, on September 4 at [[Beaver Stadium]].

A trophy to mark the occasion was established by Minnesota Governor [[Arne Carlson]] and Pennsylvania Governor [[Bob Casey Sr.|Robert Casey]], represented [[Bob_Casey_Sr.#Health_issues|at the time]] by [[acting Governor]] [[Mark Singel]].<ref name="CDT1993Bell"/><ref name="CDT1993Ring"/><ref name="Athletic2024"/> Singel presented an artist's conception of the prospective Governor's Victory Bell prior to the game.<ref name="CDT1993Bell"/><ref name="CDT1993Ring"/>

In 2013 Minnesota reclaimed the trophy after an interrupted four-game, nine-year losing streak, having last won vs. Penn State in 2004.<ref name="Kenosha2013"/><ref name="WAPO2013"/><ref name="LNP2016"/> The team accidentally broke the trophy in the ensuing celebration.<ref name="Kenosha2013"/><ref name="WAPO2013"/><ref name="LNP2016"/>

In 2019, both teams were undefeated with Penn State ranked #4 and Minnesota #17.<ref name="AP2019Golden"/> This was the first matchup in which both teams were ranked. The game went down to the wire and ended with a dramatic interception by the Gophers in their own end zone to win 31–26.<ref name="AP2019Golden"/> Later that month the [[Associated Press]] listed the matchup as a "Forced Rivalry" in their evaluation of the Big Ten's rivalries and 17 trophy games.<ref name="AP2019Forced"/>

The Big Ten conference [[2021–2024 NCAA conference realignment|expanded]] in 2024, adding four teams from the [[Pac-12]] conference.<ref name="CBS2024RivalryRanking"/> Tom Fornelli for [[CBS Sports]] listed the Minnesota-Penn State game last in a new ranking of the league's 21 football rivalries, stating "This game has a trophy, so I included it in the rankings, but I don't know how many Minnesota or Penn State students are even aware that this is considered a rivalry."<ref name="CBS2024RivalryRanking"/>

==Game results==
Rankings are from the [[AP Poll]].
{{sports rivalry series table
| cols = 2 | series_summary = yes | format = compact
| team1 = Minnesota
| team1style = {{NCAA color cell|Minnesota Golden Gophers}}
| team2 = Penn State
| team2style = {{NCAA color cell|Penn State Nittany Lions}}

| September 4, 1993 | [[University Park, Pennsylvania|University Park, PA]] | Minnesota | 20 | No. 17 Penn State | 38
| September 3, 1994 | [[Minneapolis]], MN | Minnesota | 3 | No. 9 Penn State | 56
| October 18, 1997<ref name="PPG1997"/> | University Park, PA | Minnesota | 15 | No. 1 Penn State | 16
| October 10, 1998 | Minneapolis, MN | Minnesota | 17 | No. 13 Penn State | 27
| November 6, 1999 | University Park, PA | Minnesota | 24 | No. 2 Penn State | 23
| October 7, 2000 | Minneapolis, MN | Minnesota | 25 | Penn State | 16
| September 27, 2003 | University Park, PA | No. 24 Minnesota | 20 | Penn State | 14
| October 2, 2004 | Minneapolis, MN | No. 18 Minnesota | 16 | Penn State | 7
| October 1, 2005 | University Park, PA | No. 18 Minnesota | 14 | Penn State | 44
| October 7, 2006 | Minneapolis, MN | Minnesota | 27<sup>OT</sup> | Penn State | 28
| October 17, 2009 | University Park, PA | Minnesota | 0 | No. 14 Penn State | 20
| October 23, 2010 | Minneapolis, MN | Minnesota | 21 | Penn State | 33
| October 9, 2013<ref name="Kenosha2013"/> | Minneapolis, MN | Minnesota | 24 | Penn State | 10
| October 1, 2016<ref name="LNP2016"/> | University Park, PA | Minnesota | 26<sup>OT</sup> | Penn State | 29
| November 9, 2019 | Minneapolis, MN | No. 17 Minnesota | 31 | No. 4 Penn State | 26
| November 22, 2022 | University Park, PA | Minnesota | 17 | No. 16 Penn State | 45
| November 23, 2024 | Minneapolis, MN | Minnesota | 25 | No. 4 Penn State | 26
| footnote = <ref name="UMN">{{cite web |title=The Governor's Victory Bell - Minnesota vs. Penn State |url=https://gophersports.com/sports/2018/5/21/sports-m-footbl-spec-rel-victory-bell-html |publisher=University of Minnesota Athletics |date=May 21, 2018 |access-date=May 15, 2024 |quote=The addition of the Governor's Victory Bell to the Golden Gophers' list of traditional trophy games means that Minnesota now has four active "trophy" rivalries on its schedule, more than any other college football program in the country.}}</ref><ref name="PSU">{{cite web |title=Penn State Football History vs University of Minnesota |url=https://gopsusports.com/sports/football/opponent-history/university-of-minnesota/126 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515202659/https://gopsusports.com/sports/football/opponent-history/university-of-minnesota/126 |archive-date=May 15, 2024 |url-status=dead |publisher=Penn State Nittany Lions Athletics |access-date=May 15, 2024}}</ref>
}}

==See also==
* [[List of NCAA college football rivalry games]]

==References==
{{Reflist |refs=
<ref name="CDT1993Bell">{{cite news |date=August 28, 1993 |title=Lions, Gophers to battle for Governor's Victory Bell |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/centre-daily-times-lions-gophers-to-bat/149782121/ |work=[[Centre Daily Times]] |access-date=September 15, 2024 |quote=On Friday, acting Gon. [[Mark Singel]] of Pennsylvania and Gon. [[Arne Carlson]] of Minnesota commissioned the establishment of the 'Governor's Victory Bell,' which will go to the game's winner on an annual basis.}}</ref>
<ref name="CDT1993Ring">{{cite news |date=August 29, 1993 |title=Ring that bell! Lions, Gophers add trophy to Big Ten tradition |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/centre-daily-times-ring-that-bell-nitta/149783217/ |work=[[Centre Daily Times]] |access-date=September 15, 2024 |quote=Now the Gophers will be fighting Penn State for a bell.}}</ref>
<ref name="YDR1997">{{cite news |last=Buscema |first=Dave |date=October 18, 1997 |title=Game Trophy doesn't ring a bell |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/york-daily-record-game-trophy-doesnt-ri/150130896/ |work=[[York Daily Record]] |access-date=September 15, 2024 |quote=They'll be playing for the Governor's Victory Bell, a tradition that has withstood the test of time since it started in 1993 when the schools met for Penn State's first Big Ten contest.}}</ref>
<ref name="PPG1997">{{cite news |last=Shontz |first=Lori |agency= |date=October 15, 1997 |title=Trophy rings bell with PSU |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/pittsburgh-post-gazette-trophy-rings-bel/149782241/ |work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |place=[[University Park, PA]] |publication-place=[[Pittsburgh]] |access-date=September 15, 2024 |quote=Actually, the Governor's Victory Bell already is snug in State College, as part of the trophy collection in the Penn State Football Hall of Fame.}}</ref>
<ref name="Kenosha2013">{{cite news |last=Christensen |first=Joe |agency=[[Minneapolis Star Tribune]] |date=November 10, 2013 |title=Broken trophy no problem for 8–2 Gophers |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/kenosha-news-broken-trophy-no-problem-fo/149782393/ |work=[[Kenosha News]] |place=Minneapolis |publication-place=Kenosha, Wisconsin |access-date=September 15, 2024 |quote=After Saturday's 24–10 victory over Penn State, Minnesota's players sprinted across the field to claim the Governor's Victory Bell, and pretty soon, the wooden part of the traveling trophy came apart.}}</ref>
<ref name="WAPO2013">{{cite news |last=Schimmel |first=Greg |date=November 24, 2013 |page=D2 |title=Awards show |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1461048553 |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |url-access=subscription |access-date=September 17, 2024 |archive-url= |archive-date= |id={{ProQuest|1461048553}} |quote=In the decades since, many of the sport's biggest rivalry games have been enhanced by the addition of a trophy that goes each year to the winner. Most of the awards have a colorful history, many are charming for their lack of physical beauty and some are simply ridiculous. Perhaps the spirit of the college football rivalry trophy was best captured earlier this season when Minnesota beat Penn State to reclaim the Governor's Victory Bell. The Golden Gophers were so fired up to receive the trophy, they broke it during the celebration.}}</ref>
<ref name="NYTimes2014">{{cite news |last=Tracy |first=Marc |date=November 14, 2014 |title=In College Football, Now the Trophies Precede the Rivalries |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/15/sports/ncaafootball/nebraska-wisconsin-and-other-so-called-rivalries-pop-up-after-realignment.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |url-access=subscription |access-date=June 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115113656/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/15/sports/ncaafootball/nebraska-wisconsin-and-other-so-called-rivalries-pop-up-after-realignment.html |archive-date=November 15, 2014 |url-status=live |quote=When Penn State joined the Big Ten two decades ago, the Land-Grant Trophy and the Governor's Victory Bell were quickly created for its games against Michigan State and Minnesota.}}</ref>
<ref name="LNP2016">{{cite news |last=Gross |first=Mike |date=October 2, 2016 |title=Penn State Notebook: So, so many trophies |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lnp-always-lancaster-so-so-many-trophie/149783811/ |work=[[LNP (newspaper)|LNP]] |place=[[State College, PA]] |publication-place=[[Lancaster, PA]] |access-date=September 15, 2024 |quote=One underrated (in terms of weirdness) aspect of Penn State's football history is the regular-season trophies it plays for. Both of the trophies/games/'rivalries' were concocted when Penn State joined the Big Ten [...] The Victory Bell—an actual golden bell in a wood frame—looks pretty cool. But it's only contested sporadically, because Penn State and Minnesota are in different divisions of the Big Ten.}}</ref>
<ref name="AP2019Golden">{{cite news |last=Campbell |first=Dave |date=November 10, 2019 |title=Gophers stay golden — Minnesota upsets Penn State for first top-5 win since 1999 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-winona-daily-news-gophers-stay-golde/155580382/ |agency=[[Associated Press]] |work=[[The Winona Daily News]] |access-date=September 18, 2024 |quote=Minnesota football players hold up the Governor's Victory Bell after beating Penn State 31–26}}</ref>
<ref name="AP2019Forced">{{cite news |last=Olson |first=Eric |date=November 27, 2019 |title=Sorry, Ohio St-Michigan, Wisconsin-Minnesota is biggest game |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/college/sorry-ohio-st-michigan-wisconsin-minnesota-is-biggest-game/ |agency=[[Associated Press]] |work=[[The Seattle Times]] |url-access=subscription |access-date=September 16, 2024 |archive-url= |archive-date= |quote=No conference loves a good rivalry more than the Big Ten. There are 17 trophy games recognized by the conference, after all. FORCED RIVALRY Take your pick. Minnesota-Penn State, Governor's Victory Bell. The teams had never even met in football before 1993. That was the first season the Nittany Lions played a Big Ten schedule, and Minnesota was their first conference opponent. Nowadays, the teams are in different divisions and don't even meet every year.}}</ref>
<ref name="MD2023">{{cite news |last=Duchesne |first=Claire |date=August 4, 2023 |title=The history of Gophers football trophy games |url=https://mndaily.com/278353/sports/the-history-of-gophers-football-trophy-games/ |work=[[The Minnesota Daily]] |access-date=September 16, 2024 |quote=The Gophers have four active trophy rivalries, more than any other college football program.}}</ref>
<ref name="CBS2024RivalryRanking">{{cite news |last=Fornelli |first=Tom |date=June 30, 2024 |title=Big Ten football rivalry rankings: Where USC-UCLA, Oregon-Washington stand as conference expands in 2024 |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/big-ten-football-rivalry-rankings-where-usc-ucla-oregon-washington-stand-as-conference-expands-in-2024/ |work=[[CBS Sports]] |access-date=September 17, 2024 |quote=No. 21 / 21: Minnesota vs. Penn State (Governor's Victory Bell) This game has a trophy, so I included it in the rankings, but I don't know how many Minnesota or Penn State students are even aware that this is considered a rivalry.}}</ref>
<ref name="Athletic2024">{{cite news |last=Snyder |first=Audrey |date=November 21, 2024 |title=The Penn State-Minnesota trophy nobody knows about: Origins of the Governor's Victory Bell |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5935233/2024/11/21/penn-state-minnesota-governors-victory-bell-college-football-rivalry-trophy/ |work=[[The Athletic]] |url-access=subscription |access-date=November 23, 2024 |archive-url= |archive-date= |quote=But why Penn State and Minnesota even play for a trophy is a detail that often garners stares from players, coaches and fans. [...] Why it’s even a bell isn’t fully understood either. Mark Singel believes it’s because they needed a way to represent Pennsylvania, so they chose to go with something similar to the Liberty Bell.}}</ref>
}}

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[[Category:College football rivalries in the United States]]
[[Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers football]]
[[Category:Penn State Nittany Lions football]]
[[Category:Big Ten Conference rivalries]]