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          Pop-Tarts Bowl toaster trophy joins ranks of college football's unique awards

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          • ESPN staffDec 16, 2024, 09:49 PM

          The Pop-Tarts Bowl continues to find new ways to bring excitement to college football's bowl season.

          The bowl's latest innovation? A trophy that also functions as a toaster.

          Last season's Pop-Tart Bowl trophy alluded to a toaster design with mini slots at the top of the silver football. This year, though, the bowl partnered with GE Appliances to add full function to the hardware's toaster design.

          That kind of prize adds a new dimension to any rivalry or postseason game. Here are some of the coolest trophies from around the sport.

          The Potato State Trophy: Idaho vs Idaho State

          Idaho is famous for producing potatoes, a fact that the trophy for the battle between two of the state's college football programs recognizes in supersized fashion.

          The trophy weighs in at nearly 20 pounds, with a good portion of that heft coming from a massive wooden potato mounted on top of the hardware's base.

          Battle for the Bones: Memphis vs UAB

          Memphis, Tennessee, and Birmingham, Alabama, are separated by 250 miles of highway, and the rivalry between the cities' respective colleges runs deep. The feud isn't exclusive to the gridiron, however -- both cities boast a rich barbecue culture, a fact the rivalry's trophy honors. Its design features a rack of ribs mounted on a pedestal engraved with the game's yearly results.

          The Schnellenberger Trophy: Miami Hurricanes vs. Louisville Cardinals

          The boots worn by Howard Schnellenberger, who coached both teams, are the reward for the winner of the Miami vs. Louisville matchup.

          The 2023 season was the first in which the teams competed for the trophy, which pays tribute to the dress cowboy boots Schnellenberger would wear to match his coat and tie.

          Golden Egg: Ole Miss vs Mississippi State

          Can you imagine the Golden Egg being the Golden Goal Posts? That might have been the case had the proposal not been rejected.

          Instead, the student bodies of Ole Miss and Mississippi State agreed on the current trophy "to effect a better understanding in athletic relations, to foster clean sportsmanship, and to promote a lasting tradition."

          The first Battle of the Golden Egg took place on Thanksgiving in 1927.

          Paul Bunyan's Axe: Wisconsin vs. Minnesota

          This wooden figure made its debut in 1948 because of an interesting situation with its predecessor.

          The initial traveling trophy, known as the Slab of Bacon, was shaped like an M or W depending on how it was viewed. Its whereabouts were unknown from 1943 until 1994, when a Wisconsin intern found it in a storage room.

          The original ax resides in the College Football Hall of Fame, and the current model has a 6-foot handle with the scores of each meeting between the longtime rivals since 1948.

          Platypus Trophy: Oregon State vs. Oregon

          The rivalry between Oregon and Oregon State dates all the way back to 1894 and just might have one of the most unusual keepsakes of all.

          The Platypus Trophy was created in 1959 by University of Oregon art student Warren Spady. The design's duck-like bill and beaver-like tail reflect both teams' mascots.

          Legends Trophy: Notre Dame vs. Stanford

          The Legends Trophy was first presented in 1989 to Lou Holtz and Notre Dame. It's topped with a cup made of Irish crystals and a California redwood base as a tribute to the history of both institutions.