{{Use American English|date=March 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox sports rivalry | wide = yes | name = Dutchman's Shoes | team1 = RPI Engineers | team1logo = RPI_Engineers.svg | team2 = Union Garnet Chargers | team2logo = Union Dutchmen.svg | sport = Football | firstmeeting = November 20, 1886<br />Union 4, RPI 0 | mostrecent = November 15, 2025<br />Union 28, RPI 21 | nextmeeting = 2026 | total = 122 | series = Union leads, 85–33–4 ({{winning percentage|84|33|4}}) | largestvictory = Union, 45–0 (1916) | longeststreak = Union, 11 (1960–1970) | longestunbeatenstreak = | currentstreak = Union, 1 (2025–present) | currentunbeatenstreak = | trophy = Dutchman's Shoes (since 1950) | trophy series = Union leads, 52–24 ({{winning percentage|52|24}}) | stadiums = | map_location = | map_width = | map_label1 = | map_mark1 = | map_label1_position = | coordinates1 = | map_label2 = | map_mark2 = | map_label2_position = | coordinates2 = | map_caption = }}
The '''Dutchman's Shoes''' is a trophy awarded to the winner of the annual college football game between the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Engineers and the Union College Garnet Chargers since 1950. As of the end of 2023, these two schools have played each other 120 times, making it the oldest football rivalry in the state of New York.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/Union-football-routs-RPI-keeps-Dutchman-Shoes-14840344.php|title=Union football routs RPI, keeps Dutchman Shoes|last=Wilkin|first=Tim|date=2019-11-16|website=Times Union|access-date=2019-11-17}}</ref>
The trophy consists of a wooden base, with two clogs mounted on a small pedestal, with one painted cherry red with a white letter "R", and the other garnet with a white letter "U", for Rensselaer and Union, respectively.
{{Location map+ | New York | caption = Locations in New York | width = 225 | places = {{Location map~ | New York | label = '''RPI''' | position = right | mark = Red ff0000 pog.svg | marksize = 7 | link = Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | lat_deg = 42.7317 | lon_deg = -73.6925 }} {{Location map~ | New York | label = '''Union''' | position = left | mark = Red pog.svg | marksize = 7 | link = Union College | lat_deg = 42.817222 | lon_deg = -73.93 }} }} {{OSM Location map | nolabels = 1 | coord = {{coord|42.774|-73.81}} | zoom = 9 | width = 200 | height = 250 | caption = Locations of RPI and Union | mark1 = Red ff0000 pog.svg | label1 = RPI | mark-coord1 = {{coord|42.7317|-73.6925}} | label-pos1 = top | label-color1 = black | mark2 = Orange pog.svg | label2 = Union | mark-coord2 = {{coord|42.817222|-73.93}} | label-pos2 = top | label-color2 = black }}
==History== thumb|Dutchman's Shoes trophy The rivalry began in 1886, but the trophy wasn't introduced until 1950. The Dutchman's Shoes is a nod to the heritage of both schools, with a R for the Engineers and a U for the Garnet Chargers. Prior to the introduction of the trophy, Union dominated, winning 33 of the 47 pre-trophy meetings, with most with three streaks of at least 8 consecutive wins over RPI in that timespan. In terms of the trophy series, Union leads 51–24, but since the turn of the century, RPI has won 14 out of 24 matchups since 2000, including a 5-game win streak from 2013 to 2017. Due to it often being the season finale for both schools, the Dutchman's Shoes has been a ''de facto'' championship game for the Liberty League title and the automatic berth to the Division III playoffs. This includes the 2005 game, a 49–42 victory for Union, the highest scoring game in the history of the rivalry, as well as the 2021 edition of the rivalry ending on a field goal by RPI as time expired to give them a 19–17 victory and the league title.
==Game results== {{sports rivalry series table | series_summary = yes | cols = 2 | team1 = RPI | team1style = {{CollegePrimaryStyle|RPI Engineers|border=0}} | team2 = Union | team2style = {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Union Garnet Chargers|border=0}} | November 20, 1886{{refn|group=note|The first game between RPI and Union, which was played on November 20, 1886, was recorded as a 11–4 victory for RPI, but Union disputed the score over the grounds of inept and corrupt officiating and recorded the game as a 4–0 win.<ref>{{cite news |date=November 21, 1886 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1886/11/21/archives/other-games.html |title=Other Games |work=The New York Times |page=9 |access-date=April 26, 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Shinder |first=Adam |date=November 13, 2025 |url=https://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/dutchman-shoes-union-rpi-football-21146014.php |title=What to know about the Dutchman Shoes Trophy and the Union-RPI football rivalry |work=Times Union |access-date=April 26, 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Dunn |first=William |date=January 17, 2023 |url=https://poly.rpi.edu/opinion/2023/01/no-one-can-agree-who-won-the-first-rpi-union-football-game-/ |title=No one can agree who won the first RPI-Union football game, here's why it should stay that way |work=The Rensselaer Polytechnic |department=Opinion |access-date=April 26, 2026}}</ref>}} | West Troy, NY | Union | 4 | RPI | 0 | November 23, 1889 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 10 | RPI | 0 | October 1, 1892 | West Troy, NY | Union | 4 | RPI | 0 | October 22, 1892 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 20 | RPI | 4 | October 7, 1893 | West Troy, NY | Union | 10 | RPI | 6 | September 29, 1894 | West Troy, NY | Union | 37 | RPI | 0 | October 26, 1895 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 26 | RPI | 0 | October 22, 1898 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 22 | RPI | 0 | September 30, 1899 | Schenectady, NY | RPI | 6 | Union | 5 | October 21, 1899 | Albany, NY{{refn|group=note|Game was played at Ridgefield Park.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 22, 1899 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/democrat-and-chronicle-union-6-renssela/196331262/ |title=Union 6, Rensselaer 0 |work=Democrat and Chronicle |page=19 |access-date=April 26, 2026 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>}} | Union | 6 | RPI | 0 | October 27, 1900 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 5 | RPI | 0 | October 5, 1901 | Troy, NY | Union | 17 | RPI | 0 | October 26, 1901 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 18 | RPI | 0 | October 31, 1903 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 12 | RPI | 11 | October 22, 1904 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 21 | RPI | 0 | October 31, 1914 | Troy, NY | Union | 24 | RPI | 0 | November 6, 1915 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 7 | RPI | 0 | November 4, 1916 | Troy, NY | Union | 45 | RPI | 0 | November 10, 1917 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 19 | RPI | 3 | November 23, 1918 | Troy, NY | RPI | 14 | Union | 6 | November 22, 1919 | Schenectady, NY | RPI | 0 | Union | 0 | October 25, 1924 | Troy, NY | RPI | 7 | Union | 7 | October 24, 1925 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 40 | RPI | 0 | October 23, 1926 | Troy, NY | Union | 21 | RPI | 6 | October 22, 1927 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 21 | RPI | 3 | October 26, 1929 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 7 | RPI | 2 | October 27, 1929 | Troy, NY | RPI | 14 | Union | 6 | October 25, 1930 | Troy, NY | RPI | 0 | Union | 0 | October 24, 1931 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 21 | RPI | 0 | November 21, 1931 | Menands, NY | Union | 7 | RPI | 2 | October 22, 1932 | Troy, NY | Union | 13 | RPI | 0 | October 28, 1933 | Schenectady, NY | RPI | 16 | Union | 0 | October 27, 1934 | Troy, NY | Union | 18 | RPI | 6 | October 26, 1935 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 21 | RPI | 0 | October 24, 1936 | Troy, NY | Union | 6 | RPI | 0 | October 23, 1937 | Schenectady, NY | RPI | 6 | Union | 6 | October 22, 1938 | Troy, NY | Union | 26 | RPI | 13 | October 28, 1939 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 26 | RPI | 6 | October 26, 1940 | Troy, NY | RPI | 12 | Union | 0 | October 25, 1941 | Schenectady, NY | RPI | 32 | Union | 0 | October 24, 1942 | Troy, NY | Union | 38 | RPI | 6 | September 9, 1944 | Troy, NY | RPI | 20 | Union | 6 | October 7, 1944 | Schenectady, NY | RPI | 27 | Union | 14 | October 19, 1946 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 27 | RPI | 7 | October 18, 1947 | Troy, NY | RPI | 33 | Union | 24 | October 16, 1948 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 35 | RPI | 14 | October 15, 1949 | Troy, NY | Union | 14 | RPI | 6 | October 7, 1950 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 20 | RPI | 0 | October 6, 1951 | Troy, NY | Union | 21 | RPI | 14 | October 18, 1952 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 42 | RPI | 6 | October 17, 1953 | Troy, NY | Union | 32 | RPI | 6 | October 16, 1954 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 27 | RPI | 6 | October 15, 1955 | Troy, NY | Union | 32 | RPI | 12 | October 20, 1956 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 27 | RPI | 0 | November 12, 1957 | Troy, NY | RPI | 20 | Union | 19 | October 18, 1958 | Schenectady, NY | RPI | 21 | Union | 0 | October 17, 1959 | Troy, NY | RPI | 21 | Union | 0 | October 15, 1960 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 14 | RPI | 7 | October 21, 1961 | Troy, NY | Union | 10 | RPI | 8 | October 20, 1962 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 44 | RPI | 6 | October 19, 1963 | Troy, NY | Union | 29 | RPI | 6 | October 17, 1964 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 27 | RPI | 3 | October 16, 1965 | Troy, NY | Union | 48 | RPI | 14 | October 15, 1966 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 31 | RPI | 14 | October 21, 1967 | Troy, NY | Union | 37 | RPI | 35 | October 19, 1968 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 24 | RPI | 14 | October 18, 1969 | Troy, NY | Union | 23 | RPI | 16 | October 17, 1970 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 14 | RPI | 0 | October 16, 1971 | Troy, NY | RPI | 35 | Union | 18 | October 21, 1972 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 38 | RPI | 21 | October 20, 1973 | Troy, NY | Union | 18 | RPI | 14 | October 19, 1974 | Schenectady, NY | RPI | 17 | Union | 14 | October 18, 1975 | Troy, NY | Union | 21 | RPI | 0 | October 16, 1976 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 19 | RPI | 8 | October 15, 1977 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 22 | RPI | 13 | October 14, 1978 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 27 | RPI | 0 | October 13, 1979 | Troy, NY | Union | 13 | RPI | 3 | October 11, 1980 | Schenectady, NY | RPI | 14 | Union | 13 | October 17, 1981 | Troy, NY | Union | 21 | RPI | 7 | October 16, 1982 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 37 | RPI | 7 | October 15, 1983 | Troy, NY | Union | 35 | RPI | 0 | October 13, 1984 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 38 | RPI | 0 | October 12, 1985 | Troy, NY | Union | 35 | RPI | 6 | October 11, 1986 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 35 | RPI | 14 | October 17, 1987 | Troy, NY | RPI | 29 | Union | 17 | October 15, 1988 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 27 | RPI | 0 | October 14, 1989 | Troy, NY | Union | 28 | RPI | 3 | October 13, 1990 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 24 | RPI | 17 | October 12, 1991 | Troy, NY | Union | 35 | RPI | 10 | October 17, 1992 | Schenectady, NY | RPI | 23 | Union | 8 | October 16, 1993 | Troy, NY | Union | 19 | RPI | 16 | October 15, 1994 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 23 | RPI | 6 | October 14, 1995 | Troy, NY | Union | 16 | RPI | 13 | October 19, 1996 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 17 | RPI | 0 | October 18, 1997 | Troy, NY | RPI | 30 | Union | 7 | October 17, 1998 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 33 | RPI | 8 | October 16, 1999 | Troy, NY | RPI | 16 | Union | 7 | October 16, 2000 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 27 | RPI | 23 | October 14, 2001 | Troy, NY | RPI | 32 | Union | 29 | October 12, 2002 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 32 | RPI | 14 | October 11, 2003 | Troy, NY | RPI | 33 | Union | 7 | November 13, 2004 | Troy, NY | Union | 33 | RPI | 27 | November 12, 2005 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 49 | RPI | 42 | November 11, 2006 | Troy, NY | RPI | 24 | Union | 19 | November 10, 2007 | Schenectady, NY | RPI | 20 | Union | 14 | November 1, 2008 | Troy, NY | RPI | 25 | Union | 12 | October 31, 2009 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 20 | RPI | 15 | October 30, 2010 | Troy, NY | RPI | 21 | Union | 7 | October 29, 2011 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 38 | RPI | 28 | November 10, 2012 | Troy, NY | Union | 34 | RPI | 28<sup>OT</sup> | November 16, 2013 | Schenectady, NY | RPI | 31 | Union | 28 | November 15, 2014 | Troy, NY | RPI | 31 | Union | 28 | November 14, 2015 | Schenectady, NY | RPI | 23 | Union | 10 | November 12, 2016 | Troy, NY | RPI | 21 | Union | 12 | November 11, 2017 | Schenectady, NY | RPI | 20 | Union | 14 | November 10, 2018 | Troy, NY | Union | 34 | RPI | 10 | November 16, 2019 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 33 | RPI | 0 | November 13, 2021 | Schenectady, NY | RPI | 19 | Union | 17 | November 12, 2022 | Troy, NY | RPI | 23 | Union | 13 | November 11, 2023 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 13 | RPI | 7 | November 16, 2024 | Troy, NY | RPI | 24 | Union | 7 | November 15, 2025 | Schenectady, NY | Union | 28 | RPI | 21 }}
==See also== * List of NCAA college football rivalry games
==Notes== {{reflist|group=note}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060103130148/http://www.rpiathletics.com/News/football/2005/11/12/football111205.asp?path=football Report of the 2005 game]
Category:College football rivalry trophies in the United States Category:RPI Engineers football Category:Union Garnet Chargers football