<P> The game counts for 1 point in the Commonwealth Clash each year, and is part of the greater Virginia--Virginia Tech rivalry . </P> <P> In 1996, a trophy was created for the rivalry, known as the Commonwealth Cup . The winning team holds the trophy until the next game, which has been held annually since 1970 . Currently, Virginia Tech holds the cup, having won the 2017 game . The trophy is constructed of marble and cherry wood, and is four feet high . It also contains the scores of all of the games in the series . The cup is engraved with the names of the two schools and is mounted atop a trapezoidal base that makes up most of the trophy's length . The front of the base features a stylized map of Virginia with Blacksburg and Charlottesville represented by stars on the map .' </P> <P> The Virginia - Virginia Tech rivalry has existed since the late 1800s, but did not reach pre-eminence until the 1980s . Traditionally, Virginia's primary rival had been the Tar Heels of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which remains the South's Oldest Rivalry . Virginia Tech's rival was the Virginia Military Institute, with whom they shared a military tradition and similar acronyms (VMI and VPI). </P> <P> The UVA / VPI rivalry began in earnest 1899, a year that saw Virginia take on northern powerhouses Penn State and Michigan . Virginia's final game of the season was against a squad in the middle of a disastrous first full season, the Virginia Polytechnic Institute . That game, a 28--0 decision for Virginia, was a footnote in their year . But for at least one Virginia Tech player, the blowout was much more . </P>

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