By Michael Haag | Sports Editor
Baylor and TCU’s football rivalry is taking on an entirely different name when the two schools meet for the 119th time this weekend.
Student governments from both institutions formally announced the rivalry as the “Bluebonnet Battle” during a Zoom call Monday morning. Starting this year, the storied matchup will take on the new name and have a trophy that the winner gets to keep on campus until the next meeting.
Bears and Horned Frogs fans unofficially called previous meetings “The Revivalry,” but that name was never backed by both institutions. Baylor and TCU’s student governments began conversations about this entire process back in the spring, and the student-led movement has come to fruition six months later, just in time for the pending contest.
Introducing the “Bluebonnet Battle.” For more than a century, TCU and Baylor have battled it out on the football field. After 118 games, this rivalry now includes a trophy and an official name. #GoFrogs @TCU_Athletics pic.twitter.com/FWa0vaGbpL
— TCU (@TCU) November 13, 2023
Baylor student body president Nick Madincea said both student governments agreed on the Bluebonnet Battle as the name of future meetings to tie the rivalry to Texas’ state flower. According to Madincea, the connection to the state of Texas played a big factor in the name since the Bears and Horned Frogs are set to have the most-played rivalry game among all in-state Texas teams.
Texas and Texas A&M have met 118 times in their history, so Baylor and TCU will continue to be one game ahead in all-time meetings for the foreseeable future.
“We really wanted to incorporate the culture of Texas,” Madincea said. “As a Texan, growing up, the bluebonnets were significant in my life, and I think that’s similar to a lot of Texans. The 90-mile stretch between the two institutions really symbolizes the significance of the bluebonnet to the state.”
TCU student body vice president Dominic Mendlik echoed Madincea’s comment about how bluebonnets connect Baylor and TCU through Interstate 35. The state flower usually blooms along the route from Waco to Fort Worth during the spring.
In terms of the upcoming 119th game, the Bears and Horned Frogs’ one-game lead over the Longhorns and Aggies was ensured when the Big 12 announced its 2024-27 schedule on Nov. 1. Baylor and TCU is one of four in-state rivalries to be preserved, along with Kansas-Kansas State, Arizona-Arizona State and BYU-Utah.
Texas and Texas A&M will renew the Lone Star Showdown in 2024, but Baylor and TCU will have already passed the all-time mark with the first-ever Bluebonnet Battle. Horned Frogs head coach Sonny Dykes said an in-state rivalry like Baylor-TCU is crucial, given how conference realignment is hurting traditional rivalries.
“Really proud to be at an institution that’s getting ready to play against Baylor for the 119th time,” Dykes said. “I think that’s great for college football. I think it’s something special. You go back and you look at this rivalry, really over the last decade, there’s been a crazy amount of last-second football games and victories on both sides.”
The Horned Frogs, ranked No. 4 in the country at the time, beat the Bears 29-28 on a fire drill game-winning field goal in Waco last year. TCU has won seven of the last eight matchups, with Baylor’s only win coming in 2019 in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs lead the all-time series 58-53-7, dating back to 1899.
Both the Bears and Frogs are limping into this contest on three-game losing streaks. Baylor head coach Dave Aranda said the energy around this newly-named rivalry should fire up his players.
“I think you could look at it from our lens of not having a great year, and you’re looking for ways to kind of get something extra out of a thing,” Aranda said. “This is a way to do that.”
The Baylor-TCU rivalry game has a new name: 'The Bluebonnet Battle'
It also has a trophy: pic.twitter.com/9GsLfYxQHW
— Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) November 13, 2023
Baylor and TCU will kick off the first-ever Bluebonnet Battle at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth. Big 12 Now on ESPN+ will broadcast the contest. The 45-pound trophy — which finished construction by Baylor alumnus Bryant Stanton of Stanton Studios in Waco Monday morning — will be there on Saturday and given to the winner following the game.
