Story by
Why is SMU-TCU called 'Battle for the Iron Skillet?' History, stats, more for Texas rivalry
- Story by
- Why is SMU-TCU called 'Battle for the Iron Skillet?' History, stats, more for Texas rivalry
College football fans , prepare for the penultimate "Battle for the Iron Skillet" meeting.
The annual rivalry game between Texas rivals SMU and TCU will be played this season at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. The potentially final game between the two programs for the foreseeable future will be played at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2025. After that, the series, which began in 1915 and has spanned 102 games, will go on hiatus.
Advertisement
REQUIRED READING: Bowl projections: Tennessee joins College Football Playoff field, Kansas State moves up
The Horned Frogs lead the all-time series 53-42-7 but have opted to stop the annual matchup. The winner of the game receives an iron skillet as a trophy, making it one of the more unique series in college football. SMU enters the contest 2-1, coming off an 18-15 loss to BYU last week. TCU is also 2-1, coming off a 35-34 loss to UCF in a Big 12 game.
Here's what you need to know about the Iron Skillet, its records, its future, Sonny Dykes' influence on both sides and more:
Why is it called the Iron Skillet?
It wasn't until 1946 that the series between the two programs became known as the "Battle for the Iron Skillet." SMU won the inaugural game 30-13. The Horned Frogs won the trophy following a 7-7 tie on Nov. 27, 1948, with the road team winning the trophy in case of a tie.
Advertisement
Depending on which side of the rivalry you sit on, there are two versions of the origin of the name of the matchups between the in-state foes. The first one comes from the SMU official school website:
"The Battle of the Iron Skillet tradition began in 1946 when an SMU fan was frying frog legs as a joke before the game. An offended TCU fan told him that eating the frog legs was beyond rivalry and suggested the game decide who would get the skillet and the frog legs. The skillet exchange eventually evolved into a tradition and the Iron Skillet is now passed to the winner after each game."
An article from TCU magazine from 2009 gives a differing account of the origin of the name. It claims the Battle for the Iron Skillet began on Nov. 30, 1946. According to the magazine, the idea of playing for a trophy was proposed by the SMU Student Council weeks earlier, and TCU also accepted the idea. The two schools' governing bodies met in Dallas to set forth the rules for the "traveling trophy," which became known as the Iron Skillet.
" After the game, the two student councils met at the Italian Village restaurant in Dallas to present the Mustangs with the inaugural trophy. Derrell Tipps, TCU's student body president, presented it to his SMU counterpart, Bobby Harris. Tipps is quoted in the December 6, 1946, issue of the Skiff saying, "It was their idea, so we had to let them win the first one."
Advertisement
But that does not answer the question, "Why is the name of the trophy the 'Iron Skillet?'" It remains a mystery with the TCU version of the story.
"History books provide scant details. Some claim that an SMU fan in the 1950s was caught frying frogs legs in a skillet at a tailgate before the game, and a TCU fan wagered that the winner should take the pan home, but that conflicts with a published report of the skillet originating with the councils."
The Iron Skillet trophy
The original Iron Skillet trophy eventually began to wane and was lost. However, in 1993, both schools agreed to resurrect the tradition, and a new Iron Skillet trophy was born. According to TCU magazine , the skillet is cast iron, 15 1/4 inches wide, two 1/4 inches deep, weighs about 30 pounds, and is manufactured by Lodge in the United States.
Iron Skillet: TCU players celebrate with the Iron Skillet after a 56-36 win over SMU at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
TCU-SMU football history
The Horned Frogs lead the all-time series between the in-state foes 53-42-7. The first-ever matchup occurred on Oct. 8, 1915, and ended in a 43-0 win for TCU in Forth Worth, Texas. TCU won the next matchup on Oct. 14, 1916. The Horned Frogs longest win streak in the series is seven straight between 2012-18, including a 56-0 win in 2014.
Advertisement
SMU won its first game in the series via forfeit on Oct. 12, 1918, the fourth meeting between the two programs. The TCU team bus got stuck in the mud in the Grand Prairie area following heavy rains. The Mustangs' first outright win occurred on Nov. 4, 1923, a 40-0 win in Dallas, which also marked their biggest win in the series. SMU dominated the series from 1972-86 with 15 straight wins.
There was no "Battle for the Iron Skillet" game in 1919, 1920, 1925, 1987, 1988, 2006 and 2020. The 2020 game, which would have been the 100th meeting between the schools at the time, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A twist in the series is current TCU coach Sonny Dykes has coached on both sides of the rivalry. After serving as an offensive analyst for the Horned Frogs in 2017 ― after being fired by Cal ― under Gary Patterson, Dykes was hired as the coach for the Mustangs from 2018-21. In 2022, TCU brought Dykes back. Dykes is 2-0 vs. SMU with the Horned Frogs. He was 2-1 in three games against TCU with the Mustangs.
-
All-time series record: TCU leads 53-42-7
-
Last TCU win: 34-17 (Sept. 23, 2023)
-
Last SMU win: 42-34 (Sept. 25, 2021)
-
First matchup: 43-0 TCU win (Oct. 8, 1915)
Future of the 'Battle for the Iron Skillet'
The "Battle for the Iron Skillet" will be paused following the 2025 college football season. TCU's athletic director Jeremiah Donati decided, citing the desire for more home games.
Advertisement
"We have a tremendous respect for SMU and the Battle of the Iron Skillet, which dates back over one hundred years," Donati said to 247Sports . "Playing more home games has been a priority for us and our fans, and is, most importantly, in the best interest of the TCU Football program. We look forward to annually having seven home games and as many as eight in certain years. As our future non-conference schedules evolve, we keep open the possibility of future games with the Mustangs."
SMU athletic director Rick Hart did not agree with the series going on hiatus and expressed disappointment in TCU's decision.
"It is disappointing that TCU made the decision to 'pause' our football series," Hart said in a statement sent to The Dallas Morning News. "It's disappointing for Metroplex football fans. This is a rivalry that has spanned a century-plus. It is the "Battle for the Iron Skillet," Dallas vs. Fort Worth, Doak Walker versus Sammy Baugh, the Pony Express versus LaDainian Tomlinson, and more, It's the game Grantland Rice, the famous sportswriter called 'The Game of the Century' in 1935. It is the very fabric of college football. Our hope is that TCU will resume the series, as we want to continue this rivalry in perpetuity."
Dallas mayor Eric Johnson sports 'TCU sucks' shirt, calls out TCU canceling series
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson wore a shirt that said 'TCU sucks' at a Dallas City Council meeting Wednesday morning. Johnson credited council member Chad West for the T-shirt and called out the Horned Frogs for canceling the series.
Advertisement
"Thank you Tayhoss Designs and Chipper Haynes for outfitting the mayor with this awesome shirt," Johnson said during the council meeting. "And I hope Mayor (Mattie) Parker over at Fort Worth sees this and y'all can stop being so chicken and play the game after next year."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why is SMU-TCU football game called 'Battle for the Iron Skillet?'
