Land of Lincoln Trophy
Part of Speech
Proper Noun
Pronunciation
[lænd ʌv lɪnkʌn tɹofi]
[land / əv / 'lihn kuhn / 'tro fee]
Description
The trophy awarded annually to the winner of the Northwestern-Illinois football game. The game is always played on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, as a part of Rivalry Week[1]. This new trophy was unveiled in 2009 and has been awarded each year since, though the rivalry itself has existed since 1892[2]. The trophy was designed by Dick Locher and is modeled after Abraham Lincoln's defining hat, which was chosen by polling Northwestern and Illinois fans[3].
Though historically neither team has been prominent on the national stage, the rivalry and trophy are important to students and fans of the football teams[4][5]. Illinois holds the overall series 55–53–5 and the longest win streak (7), though as of the end of the 2019 season Northwestern is on a 5-game win streak and currently possesses the hat[6].

Usage
The full title of the trophy is rarely used except in formal contexts. Rather, many students and players refer to it as "the hat". The hashtag "#LOLHAT" is also used to refer to the trophy on social media[8].
Example Sentences
- We're playing Illinois this week, get ready for the hat!
- Hat hat hat hat hat hat hat![9]