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Iowa–Minnesota football rivalry

The 1934 game between the Hawkeyes and Golden Gophers had been filled with controversy over the treatment of Iowa star halfback Ozzie Simmons. Simmons was also one of the few black football players of that era, and several rough hits by the Gophers on Simmons forced him to leave the game multiple times in Minnesota’s 48–12 victory. “What it amounted to was that they were piling on – late hits,” Simmons recalled. “I had bruised ribs...they came at me with knees high, and some of it was pretty obvious.”[2]

The following year, Coach Bernie Bierman’s Gophers were 5–0, and Coach Ossie Solem’s Hawkeyes were 4–0–1. Before the 1935 Iowa–Minnesota contest in Iowa City, Bierman received a flood of threatening letters from Iowa fans. He requested and received special police protection for the team when it detrained in Iowa a couple of days before the contest.[3]

The day before the game, Iowa Governor Clyde L. Herring told reporters, "If the officials stand for any rough tactics like Minnesota used last year, I'm sure the crowd won't."[4] Herring’s message was clear. “What he was saying was, ‘If you treat Ozzie like you treated him last year, we’re coming out of the stands,’” Simmons said.[5]

The news quickly reached Minnesota. Coach Bierman threatened to break off athletic relations. Minnesota Attorney General Harry H. Peterson practically accused the Iowa governor of thuggery. "Your remark that the crowd at the Iowa–Minnesota game will not stand for any rough tactics is calculated to incite a riot," said Peterson. "It is a breach of your duty as governor, and evidences an unsportsmanlike, cowardly and contemptible frame of mind."[3]

To lighten the mood, Minnesota Governor Floyd Olson sent a telegram to Governor Herring on game-day morning, which read, "Minnesota folks are excited over your statement about Iowa crowds lynching the Minnesota football team. I have assured them you are law abiding gentlemen and are only trying to get our goat...I will bet you a Minnesota prize hog against an Iowa prize hog that Minnesota wins."[4]

The Iowa governor accepted, and word of the bet reached Iowa City as the crowd gathered at the stadium. The situation calmed, and the game proceeded without incident. Minnesota won 13–6, and Iowa star Ozzie Simmons played an injury-free game. Afterward, Minnesota players went out of their way to compliment Simmons, and Simmons praised the Gophers for their clean, hard-fought play. Minnesota went on to win their second straight national championship.

Governor Herring obtained an award-winning prize pig which had been donated by Allen Loomis, the owner of Rosedale Farms near Fort Dodge, Iowa. Dubbed Floyd after Minnesota Governor Olson, the pig was the brother of Blue Boy from Will Rogers' movie State Fair. A few days later, Governor Herring collected "Floyd of Rosedale" and personally walked him into Governor Olson’s carpeted office.[4]

Iowa social crusader Virgil Case swore out a criminal warrant in Des Moines against Governor Herring, alleging that the bet violated Iowa gambling laws.[6] Herring jokingly stated that he had retained Governor Olson as his attorney, who argued that it was not a true bet because Herring did not have a chance of winning it.[6] However, an assistant Iowa attorney general convinced a judge to dismiss on jurisdictional grounds because the bet had been made in Minnesota and Iowa City, beyond the local court's jurisdiction.[6] Case also argued that the governors were guilty of violating federal gambling laws because the pig had been placed into interstate commerce when Herring made good on the bet, but the U.S. Attorneys declined to prosecute.[6] President Franklin Roosevelt's former son-in-law, Curtis Dall, who attended the 1935 game as a guest of the governors, suggested that they name the pig "New Deal." Herring vetoed that proposal.[7]

Governor Olson later offered Floyd up as the grand prize in a statewide essay-writing contest, which was won by 14-year-old Robert Jones. However, Floyd ended up on Donald Gjerdrum’s family farm. Unfortunately, the living “Floyd of Rosedale” wasn’t vaccinated, something that came as a surprise to Gjerdrum’s father, who assumed since it came from the university it would be up-to-date on its shots. Floyd died of cholera just eight months after making headlines, but the “Floyd of Rosedale” trophy tradition lives on.

Since the two schools could not continue wagering a live pig, Governor Olson commissioned Saint Paul sculptor Charles Brioschi to capture Floyd's image.[8] The result is a 98 lb (44 kg) bronze pig trophy, 21 in (53 cm) long and 15 in (38 cm) high.[9] Iowa and Minnesota have played for the Floyd of Rosedale every year since then. The winner of the game is entitled to keep the trophy until the following year's contest.

No.DateLocationWinnerScore
1 November 2, 1891 Iowa City, IA Minnesota 42–4
2 October 26, 1901 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 16–0
3 October 25, 1902 Iowa City, IA Minnesota 34–0
4 October 17, 1903 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 75–0
5 November 28, 1904 Cedar Rapids, IA Minnesota 11–0
6 October 21, 1905 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 39–0
7 October 2, 1909 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 41–0
8 October 28, 1911 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 24–6
9 October 26, 1912 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 56–7
10 October 24, 1914 Iowa City, IA Minnesota 7–0
11 October 23, 1915 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 51–13
12 October 28, 1916 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 67–0
13 November 9, 1918 Iowa City, IA Iowa 6–0
14 October 25, 1919 Minneapolis, MN Iowa 9–6
15 November 13, 1920 Iowa City, IA Iowa 28–7
16 November 5, 1921 Minneapolis, MN Iowa 41–7
17 November 11, 1922 Iowa City, IA Iowa 28–14
18 November 27, 1923 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 20–7
19 October 25, 1924 Iowa City, IA Iowa 13–0
20 November 14, 1925 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 33–0
21 November 6, 1926 Iowa City, IA Minnesota 41–0
22 October 22, 1927 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 38–0
23 October 22, 1928 Iowa City, IA Iowa 7–6
24 November 9, 1929 Iowa City, IA Iowa 9–7
25 October 24, 1931 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 34–0
26 October 22, 1932 Iowa City, IA Minnesota 21–6
27 October 28, 1933 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 19–7
28 October 28, 1934 Iowa City, IA Minnesota 48–12
29 November 9, 1935† Iowa City, IA Minnesota 13–6
30 November 7, 1936 Minneapolis, MN No. 2 Minnesota 52–0
31 November 6, 1937 Iowa City, IA No. 14 Minnesota 35–10
32 November 5, 1938 Minneapolis, MN No. 12 Minnesota 28–0
33 November 18, 1939 Iowa City, IA Iowa 13–9
34 October 26, 1940 Minneapolis, MN No. 6 Minnesota 34–6
35 November 15, 1941 Iowa City, IA No. 1 Minnesota 34–13
36 November 14, 1942 Minneapolis, MN No. 16 Minnesota 27–7
37 November 13, 1943 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 33–14
38 November 18, 1944 Iowa City, IA Minnesota 46–0
39 November 17, 1945 Iowa City, IA Iowa 20–19
40 November 16, 1946 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 16–6
41 November 15, 1947 Iowa City, IA Iowa 13–7
42 November 13, 1948 Iowa City, IA No. 14 Minnesota 28–21
43 November 5, 1949 Minneapolis, MN No. 9 Minnesota 55–7
44 November 4, 1950 Minneapolis, MN Iowa 13–0
45 November 3, 1951 Iowa City, IA Tie20–20
46 November 1, 1952 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 17–7
47 November 14, 1953 Iowa City, IA Iowa 27–0
48 November 13, 1954 Minneapolis, MN #13 Minnesota 22–20
49 November 5, 1955 Iowa City, IA Iowa 26–0
50 November 10, 1956 Minneapolis, MN Iowa 7–0
51 November 9, 1957 Iowa City, IA Iowa 44–20
52 November 8, 1958 Minneapolis, MN Iowa 28–6
53 November 7, 1959 Iowa City, IA Iowa 33–0
54 November 5, 1960 Minneapolis, MN #3 Minnesota 27–10
55 November 11, 1961 Iowa City, IA #5 Minnesota 16–9
56 November 10, 1962 Minneapolis, MN #10 Minnesota 10–0
57 November 9, 1963 Iowa City, IA Iowa 27–13
58 November 7, 1964 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 14–13
59 October 16, 1965 Iowa City, IA Minnesota 14–3
60 October 15, 1966 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 17–0
No.DateLocationWinnerScore
61 November 4, 1967 Iowa City, IA Minnesota 10–0
62 November 2, 1968 Minneapolis, MN Iowa 35–28
63 November 1, 1969 Iowa City, IA Minnesota 35–8
64 October 31, 1970 Minneapolis, MN Tie14–14
65 October 16, 1971 Iowa City, IA Minnesota 19–14
66 October 21, 1972 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 43–14
67 October 20, 1973 Iowa City, IA Minnesota 31–23
68 October 19, 1974 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 23–17
69 October 25, 1975 Iowa City, IA Minnesota 31–7
70 October 23, 1976 Minneapolis, MN Iowa 22–12
71 October 8, 1977 Iowa City, IA Iowa 18–6
72 October 14, 1978 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 22–20
73 October 20, 1979 Iowa City, IA Minnesota 24–7
74 October 25, 1980 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 24–6
75 October 24, 1981 Iowa City, IA Minnesota 12–10
76 October 23, 1982 Minneapolis, MN Iowa 21–16
77 November 19, 1983 Iowa City, IA Iowa 61–10
78 November 17, 1984 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 23–17
79 November 23, 1985 Iowa City, IA #3 Iowa 31–9
80 November 22, 1986 Minneapolis, MN Iowa 30–27
81 November 21, 1987 Iowa City, IA Iowa 34–20
82 November 19, 1988 Minneapolis, MN Iowa 31–22
83 November 25, 1989 Iowa City, IA Minnesota 43–7
84 November 24, 1990 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 31–24
85 November 23, 1991 Iowa City, IA #8 Iowa 23–8
86 November 21, 1992 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 28–13
87 November 20, 1993 Iowa City, IA Iowa 21–3
88 November 19, 1994 Minneapolis, MN Iowa 49–42
89 November 25, 1995 Iowa City, IA Iowa 45–3
90 November 23, 1996 Minneapolis, MN #24 Iowa 43–24
91 November 22, 1997 Iowa City, IA Iowa 31–0
92 November 21, 1998 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 49–7
93 November 20, 1999 Iowa City, IA #17 Minnesota 25–21
94 November 18, 2000 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 27–24
95 November 17, 2001 Iowa City, IA Iowa 42–24
96 November 16, 2002 Minneapolis, MN No. 6 Iowa 45–21
97 November 15, 2003 Iowa City, IA No. 20 Iowa 40–22
98 November 14, 2004 Minneapolis, MN No. 19 Iowa 29–27
99 November 19, 2005 Iowa City, IA Iowa 52–28
100 November 18, 2006 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 34–24
101 November 10, 2007 Iowa City, IA Iowa 21–16
102 November 22, 2008 Minneapolis, MN Iowa 55–0
103 November 21, 2009 Iowa City, IA No. 13 Iowa 12–0
104 November 27, 2010 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 27–24
105 October 29, 2011 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 22–21
106 September 29, 2012 Iowa City, IA Iowa 31–13
107 September 28, 2013 Minneapolis, MN Iowa 23–7
108 November 8, 2014 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 51–14
109 November 14, 2015 Iowa City, IA No. 5 Iowa 40–35
110 October 8, 2016 Minneapolis, MN Iowa 14–7
111 October 28, 2017 Iowa City, IA Iowa 17–10
112 October 6, 2018 Minneapolis, MN Iowa 48–31
113 November 16, 2019 Iowa City, IA No. 20 Iowa 23–19
114 November 13, 2020 Minneapolis, MN Iowa 35–7
115 November 13, 2021 Iowa City, IA No. 20 Iowa 27–22
116 November 19, 2022 Minneapolis, MN Iowa 13–10
117 October 21, 2023 Iowa City, IA Minnesota 12–10
118 September 21, 2024 Minneapolis, MN Iowa 31–14
119 October 25, 2025 Iowa City, IA Iowa 41–3
Series: Minnesota leads 63–54–2[1]