Rivalries
Fierce competition fuels fierce rivalries
The Pioneer athletics teams like nothing better than a showdown with one of their arch rivals.
In hockey, the rivalry that gets tongues wagging and pulses racing is the four-game clash between the University of Denver and Colorado College. Each fall and each spring, the Pioneers and Tigers face off in two back-to-back games, one played at Magness Arena and one played on enemy ice at the World Arena in Colorado Springs.
At stake? The prestigious Gold Pan, an authentic mining tool from the day's of Colorado's gold rush. The Gold Pan goes home with the winner of the series, but in case of a 2-2 tie, it stays with the previous year's winners. In other words, for the Gold Pan to change hands, the underdog must win three of the four games.
In skiing, DU and the University of Colorado go head-to-head to see who's king of the mountain. The men's lacrosse team relishes its victories against archrival Notre Dame, while the women's lacrosse team takes special pride in scoring against Stanford.