The monuments were seven feet tall and ten inches square at the top, and were mined and inscribed near Sioux Falls.

NDSU and SDSU regularly played each other for several decades as members of the Division II North Central Conference.

The series often proves decisive in determining the Missouri Valley conference championship winner each season and both teams have been regular playoff participants at the FCS level.

5 of these games were played in Fargo as playoff matches, all of which resulted in victories by North Dakota State; NDSU would later go on to win the championship in all of those seasons.

NDSU is currently in possession of the trophy after winning the latest game in the regular season series, a 13–9 victory in Fargo on October 19, 2024.