This annual battle for border supremacy between the Athletic Departments at the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin recently ended its ninth year of existence. Minnesota clinched this year's title by the biggest margin of the competition which also gave the Golden Gophers a 5-4 edge in the series.

The two institutions made an adjustment to the scoring system prior to the 2005-06 season by awarding points to the school which finishes higher at the Big Ten championship in 11 sports in which the Badgers and Golden Gophers don't have a head-to-head competition.

In the first year of the award, points were awarded only in the 11 sports in which UW and UM met in a head-to-head competition.

Officials changed the scoring so that more student-athletes, coaches and fans could be involved in the program. Schools will now earn points for finishing higher at the conference championship event in the additional 11 sports where the schools don't face each other directly.

In the initial year of the battle, each of the 11 sports originally included in the competition had 40 points at stake. If the teams meet just once annually (football as an example), then the winner gets 40 points and the loser gets zero. If the teams meet twice (women's basketball, for example), the winner of each game gets 20 points and the losers get zero. If the teams meet four times (men's hockey for example), then the winner of each game gets 10 points and the loser gets zero. If a game ends in a tie, the points are split (20 to each school).

The new scoring configuration maintains the original scoring structure and adds 40 points to the higher finishing school at the Big Ten championship in the sports of men's and women's cross country, golf, indoor track and outdoor track, swimming and diving and women's rowing.

Six sports are sponsored by only one of the institutions and, thus, not included in the Border Battle. Wisconsin has men's soccer, men's rowing and women's lightweight rowing (UM does not), while Minnesota has baseball and men's and women's gymnastics (UW does not). Adding the 11 sports raises the annual points available to 880.

Previous Results:

2011-12: Wisconsin 455-425

2010-11: Minnesota 455-425

2009-10: Minnesota 550-330

2008-09: Minnesota 535-345

2007-08: Wisconsin 465-415

2006-07: Wisconsin 445-435

2005-06: Minnesota 530-350

2004-05: Wisconsin 215-205

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