Next meeting November 11, 2017 | Meetings total 31 | |
First meeting September 20, 1986Case Western Reserve 21, Carnegie Mellon 14 All-time series Carnegie Mellon leads 17–14 Largest victory Carnegie Mellon 56, Case Western Reserve 0 (1993) |
The Academic Bowl is an annual rivalry football game and trophy between the Spartans of Case Western Reserve University and Tartans of Carnegie Mellon University.
Predating the Academic Bowl trophy name, Carnegie Tech first played Case Tech in 1907 and Western Reserve in 1909, meeting up multiple times over the next few decades. Upon the merger of Case Tech and Western Reserve, the match-up resumed in 1970. It was not until 1986 when the Academic Bowl was officially created. The match-up mirrors the sports rivalry between the two cities of Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
The Academic Bowl emphasizes “Commitment to Academic and Athletic Excellence,” as both universities are often ranked scholastically among the top in the nation, especially as research universities.
The trophy and rivalry matchup has been highlighted multiple times on ESPN College GameDay.
Coach Rich Lackner has coached every game for Carnegie Mellon, achieving a 17–14 record. For Case Western Reserve, Coach Greg Debeljak carries a 9–4 record, including the longest winning streak at eight games.