The Monon Bell is a trophy that is awarded to the winner of the rivalry between the DePauw University Tigers, based in Greencastle, and the Wabash College, based in Crawfordsville. The winner is handed over the trophy as a prize in the college football clash between the two teams. The bell weighs around 300 pounds and is from the Monon Railroad.
What is the Rivalry between DePauw University Tigers and Wabash College called?
The rivalry between Wabash and DePauw is known as the Monon Bell Classic which started in 1890. It ranks as the sixth most-played Division III rivalry and ties for the twelfth most-played overall. The game has acquired widespread national attention for its popularity. In 1932, the Monon Bell was presented as a traveling trophy at the idea of Orien Fifer, a DePauw graduate.
As per the rules, games that are tied result in the Bell remaining with the former holder. Notably, in the 1960 game, DePauw retained the Bell following a last-minute touchdown to cut Wabash's lead to 13-12. This rule likewise influenced the 1992 game, where a 17-17 tie allowed Wabash to keep the prize. It set up the 100th meeting in 1993 with the series tied at 45-45-9. Wabash dominated the centennial match, 40-26.
The rivalry saw interruptions from 1897 to 1899 for unknown reasons and in 1910 because of the demise of Wabash halfback Ralph Lee Wilson. Beginning around 1911, the teams have faced each other every year, except in 2020 when the game was dropped because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
DePauw University Tigers and Wabash College have faced each other 130 times, as of November 2024. Their first meeting was on November 22, 1890, when DePauw clinched the victory with a score of 34-5. Their latest match was on November 16, 2024, and DePauw was victorious by 42-21. DePauw has a 3-year winning streak since 2022. However, Wabash leads in the All-time series and Trophy series. They also had the largest victory with a score of 62–0 in 1912 and the longest winning streak of 7, which they won in 1921–1927, 2009–2015.
The Monon Bell Classic Winner Year by Year
Match No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
1 | November 22, 1890 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 34-5 |
2 | November 21, 1891 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 1-0 |
3 | November 5, 1892 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 42-4 |
4 | November 11, 1893 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 48-34 |
5 | October 20, 1894 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 16-4 |
6 | October 19, 1895 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 6-0 |
7 | October 31, 1896 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 20-0 |
8 | October 6, 1900 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 6-0 |
9 | November 12, 1900 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 26-11 |
10 | November 11, 1901 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 31-2 |
11 | November 18, 1901 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 35-5 |
12 | November 21, 1903 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 10-0 |
13 | November 25, 1905 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 52-0 |
14 | November 17, 1906 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 7-0 |
15 | November 4, 1907 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 11-4 |
16 | November 20, 1908 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 12-0 |
17 | October 12, 1912 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 62-0 |
18 | October 20, 1913 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 7-0 |
19 | November 16, 1914 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 3-0 |
20 | November 20, 1915 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 34-0 |
21 | November 11, 1916 | Indianapolis, IN | Wabash | 26-13 |
22 | November 10, 1917 | Indianapolis, IN | DePauw | 7-0 |
23 | November 23, 1918 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 28-6 |
24 | November 20, 1920 | Indianapolis, IN | DePauw | 3-0 |
25 | November 19, 1921 | Indianapolis, IN | Wabash | 22-0 |
26 | November 25, 1922 | Indianapolis, IN | Wabash | 30-0 |
27 | November 24, 1923 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 17-0 |
28 | November 22, 1924 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 21-0 |
29 | November 21, 1925 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 22-0 |
30 | November 20, 1926 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 6-0 |
31 | November 19, 1927 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 13-7 |
32 | November 24, 1928 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 20-12 |
33 | November 23, 1929 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 8-7 |
34 | November 22, 1930 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 7-6 |
35 | November 21, 1931 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 13-7 |
36 | November 18, 1933 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 14-0 |
37 | November 17, 1934 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 7-6 |
38 | November 14, 1936 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 19-0 |
39 | November 13, 1937 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 32-0 |
40 | November 12, 1938 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 7-0 |
41 | November 18, 1939 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 7-0 |
42 | November 16, 1940 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 17-13 |
43 | November 15, 1941 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 27-19 |
44 | November 14, 1942 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 6-3 |
45 | October 16, 1943 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 33-0 |
46 | October 21, 1944 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 14-7 |
47 | September 22, 1945 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 13-7 |
48 | November 16, 1946 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 26-0 |
49 | November 15, 1947 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 27-7 |
50 | November 13, 1948 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 8-0 |
51 | November 12, 1949 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 25-21 |
52 | November 18, 1950 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 34-20 |
53 | November 17, 1951 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 41-12 |
54 | November 15, 1952 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 47-0 |
55 | November 14, 1953 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 41-0 |
56 | November 13, 1954 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 28-0 |
57 | November 12, 1955 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 23-20 |
58 | November 16, 1957 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 37-6 |
59 | November 15, 1958 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 24-8 |
60 | November 12, 1960 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 14-13 |
61 | November 18, 1961 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 20-7 |
62 | November 17, 1962 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 13-10 |
63 | November 16, 1963 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 17-0 |
64 | November 14, 1964 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 22-21 |
65 | November 13, 1965 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 16-6 |
66 | November 12, 1966 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 9-7 |
67 | November 11, 1967 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 7-0 |
68 | November 16, 1968 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 18-7 |
69 | November 15, 1969 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 17-7 |
70 | November 7, 1970 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 14-13 |
71 | November 13, 1971 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 16-7 |
72 | November 11, 1972 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 20-14 |
73 | November 10, 1973 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 28-21 |
74 | November 16, 1974 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 15-12 |
75 | November 15, 1975 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 14-8 |
76 | November 13, 1976 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 14-7 |
77 | November 12, 1977 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 30-6 |
78 | November 11, 1978 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 11-3 |
79 | November 10, 1979 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 16-13 |
80 | November 14, 1981 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 21-14 |
81 | November 13, 1982 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 31-6 |
82 | November 12, 1983 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 16-10 |
83 | November 10, 1984 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 41-26 |
84 | November 9, 1985 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 28-8 |
85 | November 8, 1986 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 24-23 |
86 | November 14, 1987 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 33-11 |
87 | November 12, 1988 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 24-14 |
88 | November 11, 1989 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 41-14 |
89 | November 10, 1990 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 20-13 |
90 | November 16, 1991 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 23-18 |
91 | November 13, 1993 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 40-26 |
92 | November 12, 1994 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 28-24 |
93 | November 11, 1995 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 7-2 |
94 | November 16, 1996 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 31-13 |
95 | November 15, 1997 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 14-7 |
96 | November 14, 1998 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 42-7 |
97 | November 13, 1999 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 21-7 |
98 | November 11, 2000 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 27-17 |
99 | November 10, 2001 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 27-21 |
100 | November 16, 2002 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 35-7 |
101 | November 15, 2003 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 37-20 |
102 | November 13, 2004 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 14-7 |
103 | November 12, 2005 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 17-14 |
104 | November 11, 2006 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 23-20 |
105 | November 10, 2007 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 24-21 |
106 | November 15, 2008 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 36-14 |
107 | November 14, 2009 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 32-19 |
108 | November 13, 2010 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 47-0 |
109 | November 12, 2011 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 45-7 |
110 | November 10, 2012 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 23-0 |
111 | November 16, 2013 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 38-21 |
112 | November 15, 2014 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 27-3 |
113 | November 14, 2015 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 45-17 |
114 | November 12, 2016 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 37-34 |
115 | November 11, 2017 | Greencastle, IN | Wabash | 22-21 |
116 | November 10, 2018 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 24-17 |
117 | November 16, 2019 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 17-13 |
118 | November 13, 2021 | Crawfordsville, IN | Wabash | 42-35 |
119 | November 12, 2022 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 49-14 |
120 | November 11, 2023 | Crawfordsville, IN | DePauw | 33-30 |
121 | November 16, 2024 | Greencastle, IN | DePauw | 42-21 |
FAQs on The Monon Bell Winners
A. A total of 130 Monon Bell games have been played as of November 2024.
A. Wabash College is DePauw University's rival.
A. The first Monon Bell game was played in 1890.
A. The ISC Network, YouTube channels, and ISC Facebook live televised the Monon Bell game as per Wabash College’s official website.