What is the history of the Stanford / Berkeley Axe?

April 15th--On this date in Cal History. Asside from being Tax Day, today marks one of the most important anniversaries in the history of Cal athletics and Cal spirit. Ninety-five years ago ... In the Fall of 1899, a few days before the first Football Axe rally, Clint Miller transported the Axe back to Berkeley in a suit box. read more

The axe might have been completely forgotten, except that a group of Berkeley students rushed the group carrying it back to Stanford, stole the axe, and hid it in a vault for thirty some years. The axe was only taken out once a year to be displayed as a trophy during an anti Stanford rally. read more

The Stanford Axe is a trophy awarded to the winner of the annual Big Game, a college football match-up between the University of California Golden Bears and the Stanford University Cardinal. The trophy consists of an axe-head mounted on a large wooden plaque, along with the scores of past Big Games. read more

Stanford took an early lead, and after every good Stanford play, Erb and the other yell leaders would use the axe to chop up some blue and gold ribbon, and then gleefully parade the axe in front of the Cal bleachers, shouting the Axe Yell. read more