Northern_Arizona–Southern_Utah_football_rivalry
Grand Canyon Trophy Game
American college sports rivalry
The Grand Canyon Trophy Game[1] (also known as the Grand Canyon Rivalry[2][3] is a series of American college football games, described by some as a rivalry, between the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks and the Southern Utah Thunderbirds. The Grand Canyon Trophy is presented to the winner of the game. The Lumberjacks are the current holder of the trophy.
| First meeting | September 11, 1982 Northern Arizona 36, Southern Utah 15 |
|---|---|
| Latest meeting | October 16, 2021 Northern Arizona 59, Southern Utah 35 |
| Next meeting | September 9, 2028 |
| Trophy | Grand Canyon Trophy |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 26 |
| All-time series | Northern Arizona leads, 16–10 |
| Largest victory | Northern Arizona 53, Southern Utah 3 (1983 and 1993) |
| Longest win streak | Northern Arizona, 5 (2001–2010) |
| Current win streak | Northern Arizona, 3 (2021–present) |
Between 1982 and 2011, Northern Arizona and Southern Utah played fifteen times as non-conference opponents. Since 1970, Northern Arizona has been a member of the Big Sky Conference, playing at a Division I level. Southern Utah's division and conference affiliation fluctuated during this time. However, in 2011, the Big Sky conference expanded to 13 football-playing members, and Southern Utah University was extended an all-sports invitation.[4] Since then, the Lumberjacks and Thunderbirds have competed every year. In 2012, the Grand Canyon Trophy was introduced as a traveling trophy that would go to the winner.[5] The trophy was first won by Southern Utah by a score of 35–29.[6] In 2022, Southern Utah left the Big Sky Conference for the Western Athletic Conference. The two schools have scheduled a 12-game home and home series for the 2028 through 2039 seasons.[7]
| Northern Arizona victories | Southern Utah victories |
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- "Portland State Sails Past Southern Utah Late; Other Big Sky Football Recaps". Big Sky Conference. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
- "SUU football: Much at stake in this year's Grand Canyon Rivalry". The Spectrum. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
- "SUU football: Demario Warren faces former teammate in Grand Canyon Rivalry". North Shore Now. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
- "SUU football: How SUU-NAU became a rivalry". The Spectrum. November 16, 2016.
- "Northern Arizona and Southern Utah to Play for HintonBurdick Grand Canyon Trophy". Northern Arizona University Athletics. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
- "SUU Looks to Repeat in HintonBurdick Grand Canyon Trophy Game". Southern Utah University Athletics. November 21, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
- Kelley, Kevin (June 29, 2021). "NAU, Southern Utah schedule 12-game football series for 2028 to 2039". Retrieved February 2, 2022.