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The "Big Game" is the annual Football game between Stanford University and the University Of California, Berkeley (known simply as "California" or "Cal"), held in November. The first Big Game was held in March 19 , 1892 on San Francisco's Haight Street grounds when Stanford beat Cal 14-10. It is the tenth longest rivalry in NCAA Division 1A football. Through 2005, Stanford leads the series record at 54-43-11 (wins-losses-ties). California has won the past four games (2002-2005), but Stanford won the previous seven meetings. The location of the game alternates between the two schools each year. The Big Game can also refer to the annual college football matchup between the Arizona State University and the University Of Arizona (for the article on the Arizona rivalry, see Territorial Cup ). It is the biggest college football event in the Bay Area , and has a rich history. Since 1933, the victor of the game has been granted possession of The Stanford Axe . If the game was tied, the Axe stayed on the side that already possessed it; however, college football games can no longer end in ties. The Axe is a key part of the rich history, having been stolen on several occasions by both sides. In the week before the game, both schools celebrate the occasion with rallies, reunions and luncheons. Cal students hold a traditional pep rally and bonfire at the Greek Theater on the eve of the game, while Stanford students stage the Gaieties, a theatrical production that both celebrates and pokes fun at the rivalry. The week also includes various other athletic events including ''The Big Splash'' ( Water Polo ) and ''The Big Freeze'' ( Ice Hockey ). The overall athletic rivalry between the schools has been solidifed into ''The Gauntlet'', an annual award given to the school winning the most rivalries and championships under a point system. It is currently sponsored by Lexus . Big Game has produced several Cliffhanger s, where the outcome of the game was decided on the final play. In 1972 , a Vince Ferragamo touchdown pass to Steve Sweeney resulted in a last minute Cal victory. Stanford's Tuan Van Le blocked a Cal Field Goal attempt to preserve a 19-19 tie in 1988 , and Casey Moore caught the winning touchdown for Stanford in 2000 , during the first-ever Big Game to go into Overtime . However, the conclusion of the 85th Big Game on November 20 , 1982 would go down as perhaps one of the greatest plays in college history. In what is now known simply as The Play , Cal lateraled the ball five times on a kickoff return with four seconds left on the clock and ran for a touchdown through the Stanford Band , which had run onto the field to celebrate prematurely. The Play is often recounted with KGO radio announcer Joe Starkey 's dramatic call of The Play, which he hailed as "the most amazing, sensational, traumatic, heartrending, exciting, thrilling finish in the history of college football!" The legitimacy of The Play has remained controversial. To this day, the final score is noted as Stanford 20, Cal 19 in many Stanford publications, whereas the official score shows Cal winning by a score of 25-20. BIG GAME RESULTS (away team listed first, winning team bolded)
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