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| First meeting | October 9, 1936 Middle Tennessee, 19–0 |
|---|---|
| Latest meeting | November 21, 2020 Middle Tennessee, 20–17 |
| Next meeting | September 17, 2033 |
| Trophy | The Palladium |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 22 |
| All-time series | Middle Tennessee leads 13–9[1] |
| Largest victory | Troy, 45–7 (2007) |
| Longest win streak | Middle Tennessee, 8 (1936–1953) |
| Current win streak | Middle Tennessee (1) |
The Battle for the Palladium is a college football rivalry matchup between the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders and Troy Trojans. The history between Middle Tennessee and Troy dates back to 1936, which was the oldest rivalry in the Sun Belt Conference when both teams were in the same league together. In 1999, the rivalry was renewed after a 46-year hiatus. The lengthy period was a result of the two programs competing in different divisions. That all changed when Troy announced it would make the move from Division I-AA to I-A and join the Sun Belt Conference, allowing the two programs to compete annually.
With both of the program's history dating back longer than any other in the conference, the proximity between the schools, and the intense recruitment for the same players, the rivalry quickly re-ignited from 1999 to 2001. The rivalry escalated when both teams unintentionally attended the same movie theater and a few verbal taunts were traded the night before the 2001 contest. In 2003, The Palladium Trophy was introduced in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. A year later, Troy officially joined the Sun Belt Conference.
In 2008, ESPN named The Battle for the Palladium as one of the Top 5 Group of 5 conference rivalries in college football.[2]
In 2020 the rivalry was played twice in a home-and-home series. The away team won both times, first Troy in Murfreesboro, then Middle Tennessee in Troy. Middle Tennessee won the second of the two games to take the trophy back. The two teams will meet in a home-and-home series in 2033 and 2034.[3]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
serieswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Watson, Graham (August 22, 2008). "Top 5 non-BCS in-conference rivalries". ESPN. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
- ^ Kelley, Kevin (August 24, 2023). "Middle Tennessee adds four home-and-home series to future football schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved October 1, 2023.