In the 1960’s and 70’s, Idaho State University and the University of Idaho played each other in basketball for the King Spud Trophy. The trophy consisted of a large, smiling potato, wearing a crown perched on a wooden pedestal. During this time, there was no more unique trophy in sports. But following the 1979 season, King Spud disappeared and hasn’t been seen since.
Last fall, in the weeks leading up to the ISU-UofI football game, UofI’s Library 3-D printed a replica of the long-lost trophy. KISU’s Maclane Westbrook took the opportunity to interview Casey Doyle and Jean-Marc Gauthier, two of the UofI professors who worked on the project, about the trophy, what it means to school history, and whether it could be brought back.
