Franklin

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Next Event (12 Sep)

Butler vs Franklin

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League Position

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Established
1929 (97 years old)

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American Football

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Location
Franklin, IN

Nicknames
Grizzlies

Competitions
NCAA Division 1 Football

Last Edit
curswine: 04/Sep/26

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12 Sep 26	ButlerButler	10:00pm	FranklinFranklin

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Description

Franklin College is a charter and current member of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference in NCAA Division III. Originally, Franklin's athletics teams (nicknamed Grizzlies) had no nickname. Due to the college's affiliation with the Baptist church, names such as “The Fighting Baptists” were used. One of the first documented uses of the name “Grizzlies” can be found in 1929. This name originates from the nickname of Ernest “Griz” Wagner. In the 1920s, Wagner coached the Franklin College basketball team known as the Franklin Wonder Five (1918–1926), after having previously coached the core of the team in high school. This combination won three consecutive Indiana High School Championships (1920–1922) and in the 1922–1923 season, the team won 50 consecutive games, defeating Purdue University, University of Notre Dame, University of Illinois, and University of Wisconsin.

In NCAA Division III football, Franklin College has a rivalry with Hanover College dating from 1898. Since 1938, the annual winner of the game wins the Victory Bell, hence the name of the game, the “Victory Bell Game.” As of November 2023, Hanover leads the series 46–43–3.