Before the creation of Paul Bunyan's Axe, Wisconsin and Minnesota commemorated their rivalry by playing for a trophy called the Slab of Bacon. The symbol in the middle is a 'W' or an 'M', depending on which way the trophy is oriented.
After a Gophers victory over Wisconsin in 1943, Gophers coach George Hauser refused to accept it, and the trophy was sent back to Madison with Wisconsin.
