Instant Juice: Syracuse not playing for Schwartzwalder Trophy in Pinstripe Bowl

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Could West Virginia be headed for a reunion with Syracuse in the ACC?

A quick take on the news on the Battle for the Schwartzwalder Trophy:

WHAT HAPPENED: West Virginia and Syracuse will not be playing for the Schwartzwalder Trophy when the two teams meet in the Pinstripe Bowl later this month, Syracuse coach Doug Marrone said during the bowl press conference in New York on Wednesday. Instead, the two teams will be competing for only one trophy. “The Steinbrenner Trophy is what we’re here for and should be the award for the winning team.”

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SU and West Virginia will be playing for the Steinbrenner Trophy

» Related: Syracuse to play West Virginian in Pinstripe Bowl 

ANALYSIS:

  • I can see why this happened. New Era has poured a lot of money into the corporate sponsorship of this event, and that includes the prize for the winning team. Playing for a second trophy that is unrelated to the bowl game itself would dilute the advertising opportunity.
  • That being said, it would’ve been great to see the teams play for the Schwartzwalder Trophy. The two teams have met once a year dating back to 1955, and with SU moving to the ACC and the Mountaineers already in the Big 12, they won’t be meeting any time soon in the foreseeable future. It would’ve been a nice sub-plot to the end of this rivalry.
  • If the unthinkable were to happen, and Syracuse were to lose the game, and still kept the Schwartzwalder Trophy, it just wouldn’t have the same meaning. Sure, the trophy would still be on The Hill, but it would feel like there was an asterisk next to it. That said, if SU wins, then this is a moot point.
  • Is there a middle ground behind this? Perhaps the teams in private put the trophy up for grabs, and then announce it after the game? This way, both fan bases are appeased, and New Era still gets exclusive advertising?
  • I had no idea that the trophy for the Pinstripe Bowl was called the Steinbrenner Trophy. It should probably be called the Costanza Trophy, though. (H/T Andrew Rush.)

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About Wes Cheng 2907 Articles
Wes has worked for Rivals.com covering the New York Knicks, as well as for Scout.com covering Syracuse athletics. Wes has also been a contributing writer for the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), for SportsNet New York (SNY) as a news desk writer covering all of New York professional sports, and reported on the NBA and MLB for the New York Sportscene. A native of Long Island, New York, Wes graduated from Syracuse University in 2005 with a degree in journalism. Contact him at wes[at]sujuiceonline.com.