Question of the Day - 24 October 2023

Weighing in at a whopping 545 pounds and manufactured for $10,000, the Fremont Cannon has the distinction of being the heaviest and costliest trophy in college sports.

It resides alternately on the University of Nevada Las Vegas and University of Nevada Reno campuses, depending on which school has won the annual Battle of Nevada football match. If UNLV prevails, as it did in 2021 and 2022, the cannon’s undercarriage is painted red. If UNR wins, it gets the howitzer and paints the carriage blue.

The gun is a non-firing (since 2000) replica of a cannon that explorer John C. Frémont took west with him in 1843, but abandoned in a Sierra Nevada snowdrift. Or so legend has it. The progenitor of today’s trophy resides in the Nevada State Museum, up north in Carson City. The forfeited fieldpiece became the inspiration for the present-day one, forged in 1970 to commemorate the annual Silver State Series, which itself was incepted in 1969. It was donated by Nevada Mines Division of Kennecott Copper Corporation.

Fans at a Battle of Nevada game in 2000 got a bit carried away with UNLV’s win, tried to seize the cannon, and dropped it, necessitating $1,500 in repairs. At that time, the gun was converted to a non-firing fieldpiece, ending the fusillades that punctuated UNR/UNLV contests, when the cannon was fired after every touchdown scored. Since 1970, the cannon has been “won” 20 times by UNLV (not counting a forfeited win in 1983) and 27 times by UNR.

The origin of the rivalry goes as far back as 1966, when the student-body president of then-Nevada Southern University attempted to steal a cannon from the campus of UNR. Armed with a U-Haul, bolt cutters, and saws, Tom Hribar and his accomplices snuck onto the campus in the dead of night. They managed to move the fieldpiece 25 feet before the cops were onto them. UNR’s leaders took the matter in stride and were inspired to create the Battle of Nevada, whose original trophy was a bell. (The notion of trading a miniature locomotive back and forth was abandoned as impractical.)

Although the cannon most recently bore the inscription “Vegas Strong,” other less respectful bromides have been carved on the cannon over the years, including “University of Northern Rejects” and “University of Notta Lotta Victories.” 

When in Reno, it lives in the Cashell Fieldhouse at UNR. Its Las Vegas crib is within the Fertitta Football Complex, whence it forays forth to Allegiant Stadium when the Rebels play home games. It's housed in the FFC lobby. And it'll definitely be there this summer, given that UNLV (5-1) beat Reno (0-6) in this year's game last week by a score of 45-27.

Check the FFC website for summer hours during your trip.