Articles Preview Saturday's 124th Monon Bell Classic

November 10, 2017

Also: Buy Tickets; Pre-Order DVD; Telecast Info; Monon Bell History

326A3235 "When rivalries become the center of college football talk, a showdown between two liberal arts schools is rarely the conversation starter," writes Austin Candor in today's Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. "But mention the Monon Bell, and you have a tradition that predates other more noteworthy rivalries such as Civil War, the Iron Bowl, and yes, even The Game. Sorry, Big Ten fans." (at right: legendary Tiger coach Nick Mourouzis with the Bell at last night's "A Toast to Monon" in Indianapolis)

"As a senior at DePauw, I can say the game puts to rest the well-established stigma that NCAA Division III sports aren't worth watching," writes Candor, a senior Media Fellow who is majoring in Spanish and psychology and has interned for the paper. Of the rivalry's prize, he writes, "The railroad might be forgotten, but the Bell's legacy is here to stay. And at times, it's hard to tell if the players or the team's fan base wants it more. Over the years, certain fans of the losing side have felt it necessary to return the Bell to where they think it belongs."

He recaps some of the attempts to steal the Bell over the years, including last month's failed Wabash try that became an international media story.

Read his complete column at the Fort Wayne newspaper's website.

"It’s been quiet around campus at Wabash College this week," writes Jim Johnson in the Crawfordsville Journal Review. "The regular ringing of the Monon Bell typically heard the week leading up to the rivalry game between Wabash and DePauw has been nonexistent outside of the five minutes a recording of it was played over the speakers during a Wabash practice this week."

The stoy recaps last year's thrilling 37-34 DePauw victory in Crawfordsville, which brings Wabash head coach Don Morel to say, "I can’t tell you how many people in the last few days have said, ‘That was the greatest Bell Game I’ve ever seen,’ and that only makes it hurt worse. I’d love a bad Bell Game if we win."

Access the article here.

In another article on the eve of the 124th Monon Bell Classic, David Ziemba, a 2003 DePauw graduate writes, "Going to this game transports you to a time without cell phones, jumbo-trons, or big flashy digital scoreboards. A time when everyone was transfixed on what was happening on the field rather than a two or three inch screen in your hand."

Ken Owen '82, special adviser to the president at DePauw, is quoted in the piece. "I think that while the game of football has changed a great deal since 1890, the DePauw-Wabash rivalry is a reminder of what makes a sporting event special," Owen says. "Here you have two schools, separated by 28 miles of roadway and with not a single athletic scholarship on either roster. They’re playing for the love of the game and the outcome matters deeply. Throw in the back stories and you have something you certainly couldn’t manufacture from scratch.

"As a nation, and certainly a sports culture, we’re much different than we were in 1890, but in many ways the Monon Bell is suspended in time and a reminder of who we were and who we are," Owen adds.