[3] During the 2021 season, EKU competed as a de facto associate member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in a football partnership between the two leagues officially branded as the "ASUN–WAC Challenge".

The EKU Colonels played in the inaugural Opportunity Bowl presented by Raising Cane's, and in memory of Dr. Sheila Pressley, on Nov. 21, 2020.

Both schools were formerly members of the Ohio Valley Conference, and played against each other regularly until Western Kentucky's transition from the NCAA's FCS to FBS in 2008.

The two teams have met 84 times on the football field, with Western Kentucky currently holding a 47–35–3 edge in the all-time series.

This rivalry has been known to be particularly competitive with neither team gaining an edge until recent history with Western moving up to the FBS level.

It is known as the oldest and most fierce rivalry the commonwealth of Kentucky has, even more so than larger schools of the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville's Governors Cup game because of how many times the teams met, the longevity of the rivalry, and the important conference implications the annual game used to hold.

[10] The Old Hawg Rifle is the name of the rivalry trophy between the Eastern Kentucky Colonels and the Morehead State Eagles.

The two teams have met 73 times on the football field, with Eastern Kentucky currently holding a 53–16–4 edge in the all-time series.