August 22, 2003

Victory Bell Debut Next Thursday

Winner of UNK-UNO Game

            Kearney, NE – The University of Nebraska at Kearney and the University of Nebraska at Omaha Alumni Associations have commissioned the famous Paccard – Fonderie de Cloches in Annecy, France, to cast a bell commemorating the longtime football series between the schools.

            Dubbed “The Victory Bell,” it will debut prior to the season opening game for both teams Thursday at UNK’s Foster Field. The 50-pound bronze bell rests on an oaken base that features a brass plate etched with scores of each game played since 1915. The scores of future games will be added, and each year’s winner will keep the bell on its campus until the two teams next play.

            Mike Fitzpatrick, president of the UNK Alumni Association, and Kevin Naylor, chairman of the board of the UNK Alumni Association, will present the bell to athletic directors Jon McBride of UNK and Bob Dannenhauer of UNO.

            The Paccard – Founderie, established in 1796, also cast the bells in the towers on both campuses – UNK’s Petersen-Yanney Memorial Carillon Tower, dedicated in 1986, and UNO’s Henningson Memorial Campanile, dedicated in 1989.

            UNO and UNK first played each other in football in 1915 with Kearney winning that game 20-0. The Omaha World-Herald reported “Omaha played clean football and the same treatment was returned by Kearney, making a very clean game despite the fact that it was not as fast as the usual college contests.”

            The in-state series was played sporadically during the next six decades, but has been played continuously since 1982. UNO holds a 22-8 series lead, though UNK won last year 35-17 to end a seven-game UNO winning streak.

            UNK Alumni president Fitzpatrick said, “The Victory Bell will provide extra incentive in what is already in intensely fought game that illustrates everything that is right about college athletics."