Saturday, September 10, 2011 was the last time Riverside City College and San Bernardino Valley College met up for The Bell Game, where Riverside won 53-6. The game was played in San Bernardino.

“It was reviving a great tradition,” said SBVC Director of Athletics David Rubio, “It is a shame that it will not been an annual event. I am glad each side decided to bring the game back, even for a limited time, with two cross county rivals and both institutions having a great athletic history, there is no reason why this game should have waited as long as it did.”

The Riverside City Tigers are currently in possession of the “Bell” trophy and have retained the title for a seventh time in 15 years. The last time SBVC won the “Bell” was in 1996, with a score of 32-20, when SBVC's mascot was the Indians.

The “Bell” is three feet tall and is approximately 250 pounds; it is suspended from a steel frame providing the winning team the opportunity to ring the bell in a victorious cacophony after the game. Due to the immense size and weight of the bell, it is transported on a small trailer specifically designed to haul the bell.
 
Riverside City has a 39-32-1 edge on San Bernardino Valley and SBVC has a 13-24-1 record in Riverside for the series, which began back in 1926.
 
Over the years some interesting anecdotes from the RCC and SBVC series have popped up. Most important, in November of 1947, SBVC defeated RCC, 14-13, four months later, in February of 1948, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company donated the Victory Bell to the winner of the annual SBVC/RCC game. That donation gave birth to the trophy game we all know and love as “The Bell Game.”

Finally, in 1973, SBVC went 2-8 for the season. Sadly, SBVC had to forfeit one of their two victories, the 35-27 victory over RCC, due to illegal recruiting of student athletes.

“It was a long time rivalry,” said SBVC assistant football coach Pat Meech, “Not only was it a trophy game, the game even went beyond pride, it had the potential to be lengthy return to a great matchup, it was about bragging rights, and it was great for the local communities.”

Interestingly, Coach Meech was an assistant coach at Riverside in 2002.

History of the Rivalry -
San Bernardino Valley vs. Riverside City

1926 SAN BERNARDINO 20 Riverside 0
1927 SAN BERNARDINO 25 Riverside 6
1928 SAN BERNARDINO 7 Riverside 6
1929 SAN BERNARDINO 1 Riverside 0*
1930 Riverside 13 SAN BERNARDINO 7
1931 Riverside 31 SAN BERNARDINO 6
1932 Riverside 19 SAN BERNARDINO 14
1933 Riverside 12 SAN BERNARDINO 0
1934 Riverside 13 SAN BERNARDINO 6
1935 Riverside 6 SAN BERNARDINO 0
1936 Riverside 24 SAN BERNARDINO 6
1937 SAN BERNARDINO 23 Riverside 0
1938 SAN BERNARDINO 6 Riverside 0
1939 Riverside 19 SAN BERNARDINO 7
1940 Riverside 20 SAN BERNARDINO 13
1940 SAN BERNARDINO 13 Riverside 6
1941 SAN BERNARDINO 2 Riverside 0
1942 Riverside 20 SAN BERNARDINO 13
1943 SAN BERNARDINO 14 Riverside 12
1943 SAN BERNARDINO 22 Riverside 18 (six man)
1944 SAN BERNARDINO 44 Riverside 6
1944 Riverside 56 SAN BERNARDINO 0 (six man)
1945 Riverside 19 SAN BERNARDINO 12
1945 Riverside 31 SAN BERNARDINO 0
1946 Riverside 19 SAN BERNARDINO 18
1947 SAN BERNARDINO 14 Riverside 13
1948 SAN BERNARDINO 20 Riverside 19
1949 SAN BERNARDINO 27 Riverside 0
1950 Riverside 23 SAN BERNARDINO 13
1951 SAN BERNARDINO 48 Riverside 0
1952 SAN BERNARDINO 27 Riverside 0
1953 SAN BERNARDINO 20 Riverside 13
1954 SAN BERNARDINO 20 Riverside 7
1955 Riverside 41 SAN BERNARDINO 27
1956 SAN BERNARDINO 34 Riverside 0
1957 Riverside 47 SAN BERNARDINO 13
1958 Riverside 39 SAN BERNARDINO 0
1959 SAN BERNARDINO 14 Riverside 14
1960 SAN BERNARDINO 34 Riverside 14
1961 Riverside 20 SAN BERNARDINO 6
1962 SAN BERNARDINO 12 Riverside 7
1963 SAN BERNARDINO 20 Riverside 18
1964 SAN BERNARDINO 30 Riverside 6
1965 Riverside 7 SAN BERNARDINO 6
1966 Riverside 21 SAN BERNARDINO 0
1967 Riverside 23 SAN BERNARDINO 0
1968 Riverside 26 SAN BERNARDINO 13
1969 Riverside 41 SAN BERNARDINO 6
1970 Riverside 33 SAN BERNARDINO 21
1971 Riverside 34 SAN BERNARDINO 14
1972 SAN BERNARDINO 21 Riverside 14
1973 SAN BERNARDINO 35 Riverside 27**
1974 Riverside 37 SAN BERNARDINO 20
1975 SAN BERNARDINO 21 Riverside 7
1976 Riverside 15 SAN BERNARDINO 7
1977 Riverside 24 SAN BERNARDINO 7
1978 Riverside 14 SAN BERNARDINO 7
1979 SAN BERNARDINO 17 Riverside 13
1980 Riverside 21 SAN BERNARDINO 17
‘82 INLAND EMPIRE LIONS BOWL
1982 SAN BERNARDINO 23 Riverside 12
1992 SAN BERNARDINO 53 Riverside 34
1993 SAN BERNARDINO 20 Riverside 13
1994 Riverside 31 SAN BERNARDINO 24
1995 SAN BERNARDINO 23 Riverside   0
1996 SAN BERNARDINO 32 Riverside 20
1997 Riverside 28 SAN BERNARDINO 25
2001 Riverside 45 SAN BERNARDINO 24
2002 Riverside 27 SAN BERNARDINO 17
2008 Riverside 51 SAN BERNARDINO 10
2009 Riverside 40 SAN BERNARDINO 17
2010 Riverside 64 SAN BERNARDINO 28 
2011 Riverside 53 SAN BERNARDINO   6

*Riverside Forfeit **San Bernardino Forfeit

*1929 RCC defaulted because of injuries
*1947 SBVC awarded the Victory Bell donated by the Santa Fe Railway in February, 1948 to the winner of the annual RCC/SBVC game
*1973 SBVC forfeited, illegal recruiting. Forfeits are not counted.