Battle for the Ol' School Bell

The Battle for the Ol' School Bell is a rivalry between the Troy Trojans and the Jacksonville State Gamecocks when the two schools started playing together in Division II. The idea for a school bell trophy stemmed from the two schools' common origins as teachers' colleges.
The series continued as the Trojans moved to Division I-AA, with the Gamecocks moving to the division soon after. The series came to a halt when Troy moved to what is now the Division I FBS, with their last meeting being in 2001.
In 2023, Jacksonville State moved to the FBS after joining Conference USA; the two teams met for the first time in FBS play on December 16, 2025, during the 2025 Salute to Veterans Bowl.

History

The two teams first met in 1924 in Jacksonville, Alabama. The series was halted after the 2001 game with Troy State move to FBS. Jacksonville State leads the series 34–28–2. Troy has gone 12–4 since 1983 against the Gamecocks. The teams faced each other in the Salute to Veterans Bowl on December 16, 2025 at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama, with Jacksonville State prevailing 17–13.