December Card & Memorabilia Auction Dec 9 - 18/19
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/18/2022
Presented is a 1986-1996 Lou Holtz "The Game is On" trophy for the University of Notre Dame vs. University of Southern California rivalry game. The trophy incorporates a cut glass bowl fashioned after the battlements of a castle, resting on a circular black lucite base with an engraved silver metal plaque on the front of the base. The plaque is engraved in black with the legend "LOU HOLTZ now Joins the Pantheon of Legends of the Greatest Intersectional Rivalry of All!! "THE GAME IS ON" 1986-1996 University of Notre Dame vs University of Southern California". The rivalry game has been played every year from 1926 to the present, with the exception of 1943–1945 when the game was cancelled during World War II and in 2020 when the Pac-12 Conference cancelled all non-conference games in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The teams play for the Jeweled Shillelagh, a trophy that goes home with the winning team each year. Notre Dame leads the series 47–37–5. From 1983 to 1993, Notre Dame entered an unprecedented run of success in the series, beating USC 11 straight times. Including a 1994 tie, USC did not beat Notre Dame until 1996, going 13 years without a win. Despite the one-sided nature of the series during this time period, the rivalry still produced several memorable games, including the series' first and only #1 vs #2 matchup to date. This item comes with a LOA from Lou Holtz, and 100% of the net proceeds from the sale of this item will benefit the Holtz Charitable Foundation, Inc.