| Wide: | yes |
| Appalachian State–Western Carolina football rivalry | |
| Team1: | Appalachian State Mountaineers |
| Team1logo: | Appalachian State Mountaineers logo.svg |
| Team2: | Western Carolina Catamounts |
| Team2logo: | WCU Athletics wordmark.png |
| Sport: | Football |
| Firstmeeting: | November 5, 1932 Appalachian State, 20–0 |
| Mostrecent: | November 23, 2013 Appalachian State, 48–27 |
| Total: | 78 |
| Series: | Appalachian State leads, 58–19–1 |
| Largestvictory: | Appalachian State, 54–7 (1939) |
| Longeststreak: | Appalachian State, 13 (1932–1948) & (1985–1997) |
| Currentstreak: | Appalachian State, 9 (2005–present) |
| Trophy: | Old Mountain Jug |
The Battle for the Old Mountain Jug was the name given to the Appalachian State–Western Carolina football rivalry, an American college football rivalry game that became dormant when Appalachian State left the Southern Conference and moved to the FBS in 2014.
The Mountaineers and Catamounts first played each other in a football game in 1932. The two teams then played annually without interruption from 1946 to 2013. The trophy series began in 1976.
The Old Mountain Jug, an old moonshine jug, has been awarded to the winner since 1976. It is painted gold with Appalachian State's mascot, a Mountaineer, and Western Carolina's mascot, a Catamount, on opposing sides.[1]
Prior to the game in 1976,[2] the idea was pitched of heightening the long-standing rivalry. The jug idea was presented to alumni of both universities and the Sports Information Directors were charged with drumming up media exposure. The jug was donated by Roby Triplett, the manager of the Appalachian State Bookstore. It weighs approximately 25 pounds and is capped with its original traditional cork. Dee Triplett, Roby's wife, painted the jug. Excluding minor touchups, the jug and its logos have not been altered since their creation.[3]
In the mid-1980s, the series was mentioned as "the best football rivalry you've never heard of" by Sports Illustrated; but after 1985, the series became one-sided, with Western Carolina winning only 2 of the last 28 meetings. The 1979 game was the second-ever live broadcast on the ESPN sports network.[4]
With Appalachian's move to the Sun Belt Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2014, the trophy was retired after 2013's contest. The Old Mountain Jug currently resides in a trophy case at Appalachian State.[5]
The Appalachian State and Western Carolina rivalry dates back to 1932 with the Appalachian State Mountaineers holding a 59–18–1 advantage over the Western Carolina Catamounts. The two teams had squared off for 68 consecutive years since the game was suspended for World War II, 1942–1945.