“Plans are Made for (Sacramento State College), Aggie Rivalry Trophy” read the headline of the Nov. 20, 1959 issue of The State Hornet when it was announced that the newly instituted trophy, a horse-drawn carriage, was being shipped from Arizona to Sacramento.

The donated carriage was to be used as a symbol of rivalry between the then named Sacramento State College and UC Davis.

Only a few years ago, this carriage was a motivator for the Sac State football team and one of the few traditions that has survived through the years.

However, this tradition is in danger of disappearing because Davis has decided that they no longer want to house the carriage and returned it to Sac State for storage.

“They’ve never been enthused about it, because it was our idea,” said Bob Mattos, a former player and former coach of the Sac State football team. “They never really respected it.”

For Sac State, this piece of history has been an enthusiastic focal point and a motivating factor for coaches and players alike during the Causeway Classic.With the return of the carriage, a committee has been formed in order to keep the tradition of the carriage alive. Its goal is to see the carriage refurbished and stored on campus, preferably in public so the students can be aware of their school’s history.

“It was the most memorable time at Sac State. We sung the fight song, bounced into the carriage and rode it all the way around the stadium,” said Trent Lastinger, a former player and student of Sac State.

He was among the players who secured the carriage and the last win against UC Davis in 1999.

Joseph Manzella, supervising electrician of facilities management, has suggested hanging it in the lobby of the union or in the breezeway of the library in order to keep it in the student eye.

The committee is estimating the cost of the refurbishment to be near $10,000.

“It needs new tires and wheels, the skin needs to be redone, and it needs to be sandblasted among other things,” Manzella said, referring to the repair necessary to return the carriage to its previous state of being.