The Battle for the Palladium is an annual college football rivalry matchup between the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders and Troy Trojans. The history between Middle Tennessee and Troy dates back to 1936, which was the oldest rivalry in the Sun Belt Conference when both teams were in the same league together. In 1999, the rivalry was renewed after a 46-year hiatus. The lengthy period was a result of the two programs competing in different divisions. That all changed when Troy announced it would make the move from Division I-AA to I-A and join the Sun Belt Conference, allowing the two programs to compete annually.
With both of the program's history dating back longer than any other in the conference, the proximity between the schools, and the intense recruitment for the same players, the rivalry quickly re-ignited from 1999 to 2001. The rivalry escalated when both teams unintentionally attended the same movie theater and a few verbal taunts were traded the night before the 2001 contest. In 2003, The Palladium Trophy was introduced in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. A year later, Troy officially joined the Sun Belt Conference.
In 2008, ESPN named The Battle for the Palladium as one of the Top 5 Group of 5 conference rivalries in college football.
Greek mythology holds that The Palladium is a wooden statue that fell from the Heavens. It was kept at the Temple of Athena in the city of Troy. According to legend, as long as The Palladium was preserved within the walls of the city, Troy would be safe and could not be taken. However, a Raider by the name of Odysseus—also known as the Raider of Cities—stole the Palladium during the Trojan War leading to the fall of Troy. In the spirit of the Blue Raiders' and Trojans' link to Greek mythology, Middle Tennessee and Troy compete in the Battle for The Palladium whenever they meet in football. Legend dictates the winner of The Palladium gains an unknown and unexplainable advantage over the other making it more difficult to regain control during future battles. The history between the two schools dates back to 1936 with the Blue Raiders owning a 13–9 advantage in the series.
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