The Monon Bell Classic, an annual football game played between Wabash College and DePauw University, is near the top of any classic football rivalry list. The two teams have met 129Â times, with the overall series going in favor of Wabash at 63-57-9. Since the Monon Bell was added to the rivalry in 1932, Wabash holds a three-game edge in victories with a record of 44-31-6.
Wabash and DePauw first met on the football field in 1890. The locomotive bell from one of the Monon Railroad engines — the rail line that ran between Crawfordsville and Greencastle and often carried the teams to the game against their rivals — was added to the contest in 1932.
Over 8,000 fans gather to watch the game live at Wabash in Crawfordsville, while another 8,000 pour into DePauw’s football stadium when the game is played in Greencastle, Indiana. The game has also drawn national media attention, with coverage from ESPN 2, ABC Television, AXS TV, and Fox Sports Midwest, Fox Sports Indiana, and the ISC Network as well as three different articles by Sports Illustrated. Each year alumni from both schools gather at over 60 viewing parties around the country to view the live nation-wide television broadcast.
