Monon Bell

The Monon Bell (pronounced MOE-non) is the trophy awarded to the victor of the annual college football matchup between the Wabash College Little Giants (in Crawfordsville, Indiana) and the DePauw University Tigers (in Greencastle, Indiana) in the United States. The Bell is a 300-pound locomotive bell from the Monon Railroad. As of the end of the 2023 regular season, the two teams have played against each other 129 times. Wabash leads the all-time series, 63-57-9, and also has a slight advantage since the Bell was introduced as the victor's trophy in 1932, 44-41-6.

Monon Bell

Teams	DePauw Tigers Wabash Little Giants
First meeting	November 22, 1890 DePauw 34, Wabash 5
Latest meeting	November 11, 2023 DePauw 33, Wabash 30
Next meeting	2024
Trophy	Monon Bell
Statistics
Meetings total	129
All-time series	Wabash leads, 63–57–9
Trophy series	Wabash leads, 44–41–6
Largest victory	Wabash, 62–0 (1912)
Longest win streak	Wabash, 7 (1921–1927, 2009–2015)
Current win streak	DePauw, 2 (2022–present)

Monon Bell in 1967

DePauw

Wabash

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Locations in Indiana

75km
50miles

Wabash

DePauw

  

Locations of DePauw and Wabash

Series history

The rivalry game between Wabash and DePauw began in 1890 and is among the oldest college football rivalries. The hit 1904 play The College Widow, and its subsequent film adaptations, were loosely based on the rivalry.

The Monon Bell was introduced as a traveling trophy in 1932 at the suggestion of a DePauw alumnus, Orien Fifer (Class of 1925), in a letter to the editor of The Indianapolis News. Since the schools are only 27 miles apart, the adversaries in the game are often brothers, cousins, high school classmates or good friends, adding to the rivalry's intensity. Before the introduction of overtime to college football, nine ties were logged in the series. By rule, in the event of a tie, the Bell was awarded to the previous owner. In the 1960 matchup, DePauw held the Bell and scored a last-minute touchdown to cut Wabash's lead to 13–12. DePauw coach Tommy Mont turned to the stands and spread out his hands. The DePauw fans shouted "Go!" DePauw scored on the conversion and won 14–13. This rule also held significance for the 99th Monon Bell Classic in 1992 in which from the 8 yard line Wabash opted for a field goal to tie the game at 17-17 (the kick hit the right upright, but still went through) and retained ownership of the Bell. This tie set up the 100th game as an evenly split 45-45-9 series, in which Wabash won, 40–26.

The teams failed to play each other only six years in the entire history. From 1897 to 1899, the schools did not schedule each other for an unknown reason. In 1910, the teams didn't play due to the death of Wabash's star halfback, Ralph Lee Wilson, who died from a concussion in a game earlier in the season. The schools have played each other every year since 1911. The 2020 game was cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Monon Bell Classic

College Comparison

Category	Wabash	DePauw
Location	Crawfordsville	Greencastle
Team Name	Little Giants	Tigers
Students	950	2,350
School Colors	Scarlet	Black & Old Gold
Mascot	Wally Wabash	Tyler T. Tiger
Conference	NCAC	NCAC
Home Field	Little Giant Stadium	Blackstock Stadium
Student Body	All-Male	Co-Ed

The Monon Bell Classic is an American college football rivalry game played by Wabash College and DePauw University. Named for the Monon Bell, the trophy awarded to the winner, it is the sixth most-played Division III rivalry and equals the 12th-most played in college football. To date, there have been 129 total games played between the two teams, resulting in a lead for Wabash at 63-57-9.

Since the Bell was introduced as the rivalry's prize in 1932, Wabash holds a slimmer 44-41-6 advantage.

The game has received national media coverage including articles in Sports Illustrated in 1973 and 1993, a feature on Charles Kuralt's 1979 "CBS Sunday Morning" show, articles in USA Today in 1987 and the Wall Street Journal in 1999 and a feature on Fox Sports Net's show The Slant in 1999.

The game is regularly televised and past battles have been seen on ABC, ESPN2, AXS TV, and Fox Sports.

Annually, alumni parties are held in more than 50 cities across America where loyal fans from both schools gather to watch the game. Professionally replicated DVDs have been produced of 22 complete contests—the 2000 through 2017 games, as well as the 1977, 1984, 1993 and 1994 Monon Bell Classics.

In 2008, Ken Owen '82, executive director of media relations at DePauw, completed the task of compiling a "Monon Memory" for each and every game in the rivalry series. The clips utilize video/film from the DePauw and Wabash archives, as well as vintage photographs, and are available online and on Monon Bell DVDs. The "Memories" project was the subject of coverage in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Indiana Business, and other media outlets. Owen has since re-cut several of the segments after locating additional archival materials.

Listed below are the all-time Monon Bell Classic results, with Wabash victories shaded in scarlet and DePauw victories are shaded in old gold.

Bell heists

The Bell has been stolen at least nine times (1941, 1959, 1965, 1966, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1988, 1998). The most famous theft is known as "Operation Frijoles," which was ranked by Sports Illustrated as one of the five greatest all-time rivalry pranks. "Operation Frijoles" is still the favorite story shared by Wabash fans regarding the "reappropriation" of the 300-pound trophy claimed each November by either Wabash College or DePauw University in the annual football meeting.

Operation Frijoles

Poster produced after "Operation Frijoles"

Prior to the 1965 meeting between the two teams, Wabash student Jim Shanks '67 scheduled a meeting with DePauw University President William H. Kerstetter, claiming to be representative from the US Information Service in Mexico City. During the meeting with Kerstetter, Shanks was able to convince the president to offer two full scholarships for Mexican students. To "seal the deal" Shanks asked to take photos of various points of interest on campus to show the "prospective" Mexican students more about DePauw University.

One item Shanks asked to photograph was the Monon Bell, in the Tigers' possession after a 22–21 victory in 1964. The dean of the college was the only person on campus who knew the location of the Bell, but was reluctant to tell Shanks of its location. "I don't know whether I should show this to you or not," he said with a laugh. "The last time I showed it to someone, they stole it."

Taken to the second floor of a Quonset hut near the football field, Shanks took careful notes that were reviewed by Wabash students upon his return. The Wabash students decided they would have two groups attempt to retrieve The Bell. The first group that arrived on campus was quickly discovered before attempting the heist and were ordered to either "leave campus or find dates." The Wabash students chose the latter. The second group of students arrived on campus undetected, entered the building, and took the Bell back to Crawfordsville. Depauw's security, upon realizing The Bell was gone, found the first group of Wabash students still on campus. Security questioned the students about the heist but their dates vouched that they had been together the entire night. The Bell was eventually "found" by the Wabash administration and returned to DePauw the day before the 1965 game.

Saturday afternoon the Little Giant football team made certain it was a short visit. Wabash defeated DePauw 16–6. After every Wabash touchdown, the Wabash fans cheered "Ole!" At the conclusion of the game Wabash fans stormed the field, many wearing sombreros and ponchos, throwing tortillas onto the field and wielding posters congratulating President Kerstetter for the loss of the Bell and the two scholarship offers.

Other heists

Another famous heist saw DePauw students stealing the bell from themselves. In 1967, concerned about the safety of the Bell from Wabash kidnappers, a group of DePauw students stole the bell from its resting place and buried it in the north end zone of DePauw's Blackstock Stadium. Very few students knew of its location, and many mistakenly believed it had been kidnapped by Wabash students. Shortly after the heist, the temperature dropped well below freezing and there was concern The Bell would inaccessible for the game. Luckily, the ground thawed and The Bell was unearthed on game day. Wabash wound up leaving with the trophy after a 7–0 victory on the muddy turf.

The Bell was last stolen in 1998 by Wabash students on Halloween.

In 1998, after DePauw had secured the Bell, a fracas broke out on the field of Wabash's Byron P. Hollett Little Giant Stadium and DePauw students pulled down one of the Little Giants' goal posts. The Little Giant student body retaliated by charging the field. The melee was broken up by the local police, which used pepper spray to restrain the visiting crowd. As a result, following Monon Bell Classics have been played with added security and segregated fan sections along with transferring The Bell midway through the 4th quarter to a neutral location if the result of the game is still in doubt.

Failed heists

One other failed heist occurred by DePauw students. They had succeeded in stealing the bell and had the bell loaded into their car when their car wouldn't start. They were caught red-handed with the bell. They assumed that they would only get a slap on the wrist for the attempted heist. However, because the crime occurred in Montgomery County, where nearly all the judges are Wabash alumni, the students from DePauw got 1000 hours of community service.

In 2012, DePauw students nearly snatched the bell when several members of the Wabash fraternity Sigma Chi fell asleep guarding it, however they woke up when the bell accidentally rang. In the resulting melee, the handle to the bell was broken, but Wabash was able to retain it.

In October 2017, three Wabash students wearing masks of Barack Obama and Donald Trump attempted to steal the bell from its display case at DePauw's Lilly Center in what is now known as the Failed Bipartisanship Heist. The students were intercepted on their way to a getaway truck after a DePauw police officer noticed the vehicle with its engine running during fall break; the would-be bandits also triggered a hidden pressure sensor, which alerted the DePauw and Greencastle City Police. Out of concern for the students' future employment prospects, the police, the schools, and the students agreed the students only punishment would be cleaning Blackstock Stadium after the game. Many Wabash alumni and other students assisted the clean-up following the game to lighten the burden on the apprehended students.

The Ballad of the Monon Bell

The Ballad of the Monon Bell was introduced the week of the 1985 game at DePauw. The music is by Nancy Ford Charles (DePauw 1957), and the lyrics are by Darel Lindquist (DePauw 1968). The concept of the ballad originated with Patrick Aikman (DePauw 1957). The ballad has been recorded by Jim Ibbotson (of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) (DePauw 1969). A video, originally created in 1985, was recut in 2007 after tape was found containing a stereo version of the song, and another new version was created in August 2012. A 1985 demo of the song was also found in 2009. (See external links below for an MP3 and MOV of the song.)

Long before the cannonball traveled through her towns
The state of Indiana owned the jewel of the crown
The train, they called the Monon, the stories they still tell
The Giants and the Tigers playing for her bell

It rode like a masthead on engine ninety-nine
Crawfordsville to Greencastle, then further down the line
The Giants came from Wabash, the Tigers from DePauw
Since eighteen-ninety they have played the last game ev’ry fall

Many years they played for pride, oh the stories they could tell
Then in thirty-two the Monon train gave up her precious bell
They said, "Here take this symbol of smoke and fire and grit
And give it to the winner, a symbol not to quit."

Ring the Bell for Wabash, ring for old DePauw
Ring the bell for victory in the last game ev’ry fall
Ring the Bell for Wabash, ring for old DePauw
Ring the bell for victory in the last game ev’ry fall

Suddenly the boys of autumn had fire in their eyes
Blood and spit, but never quit, fighting for the prize
The medal to the victor, the symbol to the school
Wabash and DePauw became a yearly duel

Ring the Bell for Wabash, ring for old DePauw
Ring the bell for victory in the last game ev’ry fall
Ring the Bell for Wabash, ring for old DePauw
Ring the bell for victory in the last game ev’ry fall

Ring the Bell for Wabash, ring for old DePauw
Ring the bell for victory in the last game ev’ry fall
Ring the Bell for Wabash, ring for old DePauw
Ring the bell for victory in the last game ev’ry fall

Now history has recorded the players and their games
And to this day they still play for the Bell in Monon’s name
Those who’ve gone before return each November day
Swapping stories and legends for those who did not play

Ring the Bell for Wabash, ring for old DePauw
Ring the bell for victory in the last game ev’ry fall
Ring the Bell for Wabash, ring for old DePauw
Ring the bell for victory in the last game ev’ry fall

©DePauw University, 1985

Game results

DePauw victories

Wabash victories

Tie games

No.	Date	Location	Winner	Score
1	November 22, 1890	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	34–5
2	November 21, 1891	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	1–0
3	November 5, 1892	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	42–4
4	November 11, 1893	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	48–34
5	October 20, 1894	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	16–4
6	October 19, 1895	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	6–0
7	October 31, 1896	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	20–0
8	October 6, 1900	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	6–0
9	November 12, 1900	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	26–11
10	November 11, 1901	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	31–2
11	November 18, 1901	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	35–5
12	November 21, 1903	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	10–0
13	November 25, 1905	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	52–0
14	November 17, 1906	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	7–0
15	November 4, 1907	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	11–4
16	November 20, 1908	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	12–0
17	October 9, 1909	Greencastle, IN	Tie	0–0
18	October 13, 1911	Crawfordsville, IN	Tie	0–0
19	October 12, 1912	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	62–0
20	October 20, 1913	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	7–0
21	November 16, 1914	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	3–0
22	November 20, 1915	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	34–0
23	November 11, 1916	Indianapolis, IN	Wabash	26–13
24	November 10, 1917	Indianapolis, IN	DePauw	7–0
25	November 23, 1918	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	28–6
26	November 8, 1919	Indianapolis, IN	Tie	0–0
27	November 20, 1920	Indianapolis, IN	DePauw	3–0
28	November 19, 1921	Indianapolis, IN	Wabash	22–0
29	November 25, 1922	Indianapolis, IN	Wabash	30–0
30	November 24, 1923	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	17–0
31	November 22, 1924	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	21–0
32	November 21, 1925	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	22–0
33	November 20, 1926	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	6–0
34	November 19, 1927	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	13–7
35	November 24, 1928	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	20–12
36	November 23, 1929	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	8–7
37	November 22, 1930	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	7–6
38	November 21, 1931	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	13–7
39	November 19, 1932	Greencastle, IN	Tie	0–0
40	November 18, 1933	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	14–0
41	November 17, 1934	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	7–6
42	November 16, 1935	Crawfordsville, IN	Tie	0–0
43	November 14, 1936	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	19–0
44	November 13, 1937	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	32–0

No.	Date	Location	Winner	Score
45	November 12, 1938	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	7–0
46	November 18, 1939	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	7–0
47	November 16, 1940	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	17–13
48	November 15, 1941	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	27–19
49	November 14, 1942	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	6–3
50	October 16, 1943	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	33–0
51	October 21, 1944	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	14–7
52	September 22, 1945	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	13–7
53	November 16, 1946	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	26–0
54	November 15, 1947	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	27–7
55	November 13, 1948	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	8–0
56	November 12, 1949	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	25–21
57	November 18, 1950	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	34–20
58	November 17, 1951	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	41–12
59	November 15, 1952	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	47–0
60	November 14, 1953	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	41–0
61	November 13, 1954	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	28–0
62	November 12, 1955	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	23–20
63	November 17, 1956	Crawfordsville, IN	Tie	7–7
64	November 16, 1957	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	37–6
65	November 15, 1958	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	24–8
66	November 14, 1959	Greencastle, IN	Tie	6–6
67	November 12, 1960	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	14–13
68	November 18, 1961	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	20–7
69	November 17, 1962	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	13–10
70	November 16, 1963	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	17–0
71	November 14, 1964	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	22–21
72	November 13, 1965	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	16–6
73	November 12, 1966	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	9–7
74	November 11, 1967	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	7–0
75	November 16, 1968	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	18–7
76	November 15, 1969	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	17–7
77	November 7, 1970	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	14–13
78	November 13, 1971	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	16–7
79	November 11, 1972	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	20–14
80	November 10, 1973	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	28–21
81	November 16, 1974	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	15–12
82	November 15, 1975	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	14–8
83	November 13, 1976	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	14–7
84	November 12, 1977	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	30–6
85	November 11, 1978	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	11–3
86	November 10, 1979	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	16–13
87	November 8, 1980	Crawfordsville, IN	Tie	22–22
88	November 14, 1981	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	21–14

No.	Date	Location	Winner	Score
89	November 13, 1982	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	31–6
90	November 12, 1983	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	16–10
91	November 10, 1984	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	41–26
92	November 9, 1985	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	28–8
93	November 8, 1986	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	24–23
94	November 14, 1987	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	33–11
95	November 12, 1988	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	24–14
96	November 11, 1989	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	41–14
97	November 10, 1990	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	20–13
98	November 16, 1991	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	23–18
99	November 14, 1992	Crawfordsville, IN	Tie	17–17
100	November 13, 1993	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	40–26
101	November 12, 1994	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	28–24
102	November 11, 1995	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	7–2
103	November 16, 1996	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	31–13
104	November 15, 1997	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	14–7
105	November 14, 1998	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	42–7
106	November 13, 1999	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	21–7
107	November 11, 2000	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	27–17
108	November 10, 2001	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	27–21
109	November 16, 2002	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	35–7
110	November 15, 2003	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	37–20
111	November 13, 2004	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	14–7
112	November 12, 2005	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	17–14
113	November 11, 2006	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	23–20
114	November 10, 2007	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	24–21
115	November 15, 2008	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	36–14
116	November 14, 2009	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	32–19
117	November 13, 2010	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	47–0
118	November 12, 2011	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	45–7
119	November 10, 2012	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	23–0
120	November 16, 2013	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	38–21
121	November 15, 2014	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	27–3
122	November 14, 2015	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	45–17
123	November 12, 2016	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	37–34
124	November 11, 2017	Greencastle, IN	Wabash	22–21
125	November 10, 2018	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	24–17
126	November 16, 2019	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	17–13
127	November 13, 2021	Crawfordsville, IN	Wabash	42–35
128	November 12, 2022	Greencastle, IN	DePauw	49–14
129	November 11, 2023	Crawfordsville, IN	DePauw	33–30
Series: Wabash leads 63–57–9

External links

• Monon Bell History
• Roster of "Monon Memories" Highlights
• "Monon Memories" on YouTube
• Monon Ballad Song (MP3)
• Original Version of Ballad, 1993, 2007, 2012, 2016
• TV Report on 2017 Monon Bell Theft Attempt