Battle of the Iron Skillet: More than a frying pan
Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas - SMU and TCU face off in Dallas on Saturday in the long-awaited "Battle of the Iron Skillet."
This has been one of the most-heated mashups in college football for more than 100 years… but what does a metal cooking utensil have to do with it?
The winner of the game gets to take home a trophy shaped like an iron skillet – proof of bragging rights for the year.
The history of the Iron Skillet:
The history behind the skillet dates to the fall of 1946, when the intense rivalry between the schools became violent.
During the 1945 college football season, over $1,000 in damage was done to both campuses, according to SMU. That amount is equivalent to about $17,500 in 2024.
The schools came up with the idea of the Iron Skillet to symbolize the intense passion students felt for their teams.
On Nov. 30, 1946, SMU’s student council proposed having a trophy to resemble the rivalry between the schools, according to The Dallas Morning News.
"Presented in token of southwestern friendship to the winner of the annual TCU-SMU football game. Student tradition sponsored jointly by student governments of the universities," read the engraving on the original trophy.
That artifact was eventually lost and replaced with the current Iron Skillet in 1993. The current skillet reads, "The Skillet; SMU v. TCU; A tradition since 1915."
Although the battle of the Iron Skillet began in 1946, the rivalry dates to 1915, when the Frogs and Mustangs faced off in the season opener in Fort Worth. TCU won 43-0. SMU’s first win against TCU came in 1923.
The rivalry intensified in 1935 when both undefeated 10-0 teams faced off in what became known as, "The Game of the Century."
A reporter from the New York Sun wrote that more than 36,000 watched the game inside a 30,000-person stadium. The winner became the first team from the Southwest Conference to go to the Rose Bowl. SMU beat TCU 20-14.
DALLAS, TX - SEPTEMBER 07: Ben Hicks #8 of the Southern Methodist Mustangs is tackled by Jawuan Johnson #1 and Corey Bethley #94 of the TCU Horned Frogs at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on September 7, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty
Rivalry coming to an end:
This 103-year-old tradition is expected to end after the 2025 season, as the teams look to add more home games to their schedules.
Next year will be the last battle for the Iron Skillet - for now.