With Penn State football hosting Minnesota in Week 11, the Governor’s Victory Bell Trophy is up for grabs. Saturday marks the 18th meeting between the two teams as a Big Ten matchup, with Penn State holding an 11-6 advantage.

The trophy itself was created in 1993 to commemorate Penn State’s very first year joining the Big Ten. In that inaugural season, Penn State was scheduled to play its first Big Ten game against Minnesota on September 4 at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions beat the Golden Gophers 38-20.

Former Minnesota Gov. Arne Carlson and acting Pennsylvania Gov. Mark Singel dedicated the trophy to mark the first meeting between the two teams.

Penn State started hot in the rivalry series, winning the first four meetings against Minnesota.

Penn State claimed control of the trophy with a win in 2005. It kept the trophy until it eventually had to give it back to Minnesota in 2013. The Golden Gophers downed the Nittany Lions 24-10 in Minneapolis.

Of the 17 games between the two teams, only two have been decided in overtime, with Penn State winning both.

The first time was in 2006, when the Nittany Lions edged out a 28-27 win. The other instance came in 2016, when Penn State won 29-26 to spark its Big Ten title run.

The most infamous meeting between the two teams came in 2019. It marked the first time in the matchup’s history that both teams entered ranked.

The two sides were also undefeated until No. 17 Minnesota upset No. 4 Penn State, 31-26. A game-sealing interception in the Golden Gophers’ own end zone sent Penn State home shocked and tainted its playoff hopes for the season.

Penn State goes into Saturday on a two-game win streak dating back to 2022. The most recent win came in 2024, when Penn State outlasted Minnesota in a 26-25 thriller. The key victory propelled Penn State into the postseason, where it eventually reached the College Football Playoff semifinal.

However, the difference between this rivalry game and others like it is that many people argue it shouldn’t be classified as one. The term “forced rivalry” is often used to describe the atmosphere of this game.

But no matter what people think of this game, it still holds a spot as one of only two regular-season contests where a trophy is on the line for the Nittany Lions.

Be sure to keep an eye out for the giant trophy with a bell hanging from it at Beaver Stadium on Saturday.

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