Cumberlands–Union football rivalry

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Battle for the Brass Lantern

The Brass Lantern is the traveling trophy awarded to the winner of the Cumberlands–Union football rivalry. The game is between the University of the Cumberlands Patriots and the Union College Bulldogs in eastern Kentucky, about 30 miles apart in Williamsburg and Barbourville. The annual contest is often called the Battle for the Brass Lantern, a nod to the coal-mining heritage of the region. The two teams first played in 1905, making it one of NAIA football’s oldest rivalries. The series has been stopped and restarted a couple of times, and since 1985 the teams have met every year. Since 1987 they have competed in the Mid-South Conference and its predecessors.

All-time, Cumberlands leads the series 29–12, and in Brass Lantern play (since 1995) Cumberlands leads 17–8. The latest game occurred in 2019, with Cumberlands winning 98–0—the largest margin in the series. The next meeting was scheduled for 2020.

Notable games
- 1988: Cumberland 36, Union 31 (Cumberland later went 10–0 and won the MSC)
- 1995: Union 22, Cumberland 21 (inaugural Brass Lantern game)
- 1996: Union 24, Cumberland 23 OT
- 2001: Union 24, Cumberland 17
- 2005: Union 35, Cumberland 34
- 2006: Cumberland 21, Union 9 (first neutral-site, night game)
- 2008: Cumberland 35, Union 28
- 2014: Union 28, Cumberland 27
- 2016: Union 49, Cumberland 45
- 2019: Cumberland 98, Union 0

Streaks
- Largest and longest win streak: Cumberland five games (1987–1991, 2006–2010)
- Longest unbeaten streak: Cumberland five (1987–1991, 2006–2010)
- Current win streak: Cumberland 3 (2017–present)