The schools off the field are constantly competing for state funds in the same market ever since Missouri Western expanded from a junior college to a four-year college in 1969 fulfilling a Missouri governor Warren Hearnes campaign promise to build the school St. Joseph, Missouri (2000 population 73,912).

In 1988, the state under John Ashcroft recommended that Northwest be closed altogether.

[3] In the wake of the ultimately abandoned proposal, both schools have considerably ramped up their football programs with Northwest appearing in ten NCAA Division II National Football Championships (winning six) while Missouri Western has hosted the Kansas City Chiefs summer training camp starting since 2010.

[5] A crowd of 9,346 attended the September 13, 2008, game—the second biggest at Northwest's Bearcat Stadium.

[7] A During the 2010 and 2011 college football seasons, the Griffons and Bearcats played twice; in this case, the second meeting was in the playoffs.