When you work in college football, it’s hard to admit that you had a bad idea.
If you’re a coach, it means admitting you made a bad play. If you’re a ref, it means admitting you screwed up the call. The NCAA itself is famous for this, of course, but that’s a whole other discussion.
At some point, about three years ago, former UConn head coach Bob Diaco had the realization that, apparently, rivalries were less about passionate fan bases and historical context, and more about simple marketing. If the school paid someone fifty bucks for a trophy, possibly an uncle, they could just, y’know, automatically have something equal to the Red River Showdown or The Game.