Florida Cup
| Florida Cup | ||
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| Florida Gators | Florida State Seminoles | Miami Hurricanes |
| Originated: | 2002 | |
| Current Holder: | Florida State (from 2013) | |
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Florida (1) 2008 |
Florida State (1) 2013 |
Miami (3) 2002 2003 2004 |
The Florida Cup (also known as the state championship of Florida) is the annual American football rivalry between the University of Florida Gators, Florida State University Seminoles and the University of Miami Hurricanes.
Along with the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy (given to the winner of the round robin between Army, Navy and Air Force) and the Michigan MAC Trophy (Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan), the Florida Cup is one of the very few three-way college football rivalries that presents a trophy to the winner.
The trophy originated in 2002 by the Florida Sports Foundation, the official sports promotion and development organization of the state of Florida, and the Florida Championships Awards, Inc., is sponsored by the state of Florida given to either Florida State University, University of Florida or University of Miami for winning a round-robin against the other two teams in the same season (including bowl games if necessary). The idea of finally having a trophy for the round robin winner between the three schools was enthusiastically endorsed by then-governor Jeb Bush.
The trophy was created by the Baldwin Hardware Corporation. It is designed to be a unique piece of art as well as representative of the traditional power of Florida's major collegiate football teams. The Florida Cup stands approximately 24 inches (0.6 m) tall and is composed of several elements. The base is crafted from solid cherry with the outline of the State of Florida and the football at the top in gold-plated solid pewter. The football is mounted on three curved, swirling "pillars" made from silver-plated solid brass that represent the state's three powerhouse football programs—the University of Miami, Florida State University, and the University of Florida.
The rivalry between the three schools has traditionally been non-conference; it was only in 2004 that Miami moved to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), joining Florida State, which played its first season as a member of the ACC in 1992. Prior to this move, Miami was in the Big East Conference, which it joined in 1991. Before joining their respective conferences, both teams had been independent. Florida has been in their conference, the Southeastern Conference (SEC), for much longer, having been one of its charter members in 1932.
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