In a press conference in 2022, Penn State head coach James Franklin called the Land Grant Trophy “the most beautiful trophy in all of college football”. While PSU linebacker Jonathan Sutherland called it “a big block of wood.”
But, whether you think the Land Grant Trophy is a thing of beauty or an eye-soar, it does reflect some of the history of the two schools.
The Trophy has a deep mahogany frame, is extremely heavy, and is stained to be weatherproof. On the side, it has plaques that have engraved plates that name the winner of the trophy since its inception.
There are the two emblems of the schools on the front of the trophy. A Lion sits towards the top for Penn State, with a Spartan just below for Michigan State. At the bottom of the front panel are photos of the two schools: the Bell Tower at Penn State and the Beaumont Tower at Michigan State. The whole trophy is then topped off with a gold figurine of a football player.
