Central Oklahoma–Northeastern State football rivalry
American college football rivalry
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The Central Oklahoma–Northeastern State football rivalry,[1] commonly referred to as the Battle for the President's Cup,[2] is an American college football rivalry game played annually between the Central Oklahoma Bronchos football team of the University of Central Oklahoma from Edmond, Oklahoma, and the Northeastern State RiverHawks football team of Northeastern State University from Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Both schools currently compete in the NCAA Division II level, and are members of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). Central Oklahoma, formerly Central State, has a 55–28–2 advantage in the series but Northeastern State has kept the series record close since the introduction of the President's Cup in 1998.
Central State, 53–3
Northeastern State, 28–21
| Sport | Football |
|---|---|
| First meeting | 1912 Central State, 53–3 |
| Latest meeting | October 25, 2025 Northeastern State, 28–21 |
| Next meeting | TBD |
| Trophy | President's Cup |
| Statistics | |
| Total meetings | 85 |
All-time series | Central Oklahoma leads, 55–28–2 |
| Trophy series | Central Oklahoma leads, 17–10 |
Largest victory | Central Oklahoma, 85–0 (1915) |
Longest win streak | Central Oklahoma, 10 (1912–1932, 2014–2024) |
Current win streak | Northeastern State, 1 (2025–present) |
  Central Oklahoma  Northeastern State Locations in Oklahoma | |
Prior to membership in the MIAA, both schools participated in the Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference, the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference and most recently the Lone Star Conference, with Northeastern State joining the league in the mid-1990s.
Central Oklahoma has won the only postseason game between the schools, that being in the 1982 NAIA playoffs semifinal game.[3] Between 1984 and 1996, the series went on hiatus over the amount of scholarships the schools offered their athletes.[4]
Beginning in 1998 after Northeastern State upgraded to NCAA Division II, the Bronchos and the Redmen (now the RiverHawks), have played for the President's Cup.[5][6] Central Oklahoma leads the trophy series with a 17–10 record in the President's Cup series. The schools also have an intense rivalry in basketball as well.[7][8]
Game results
| Central Oklahoma victories | Northeastern State victories | Tie games |
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A During the 1982 college football season, the teams played twice; in this case, the second meeting was in the playoffs.