The first meeting between the two
Catholic universities was a 24-18 victory by Dayton on February 20, 1920. The two schools have maintained an annual meeting since then, frequently meeting twice in one season. The series has been interrupted four times, most recently from 1943-45 due to
World War II. Xavier held a commanding early lead in the series until Dayton won 61 of the next 74 games beginning in 1950. The rivalry between the two schools took on added significance beginning in the 1988-89 season when Dayton joined Xavier in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference (now the
Horizon League) and again in the 1995-96 season when Dayton and Xavier joined the
Atlantic 10 Conference. Dayton has not won against Xavier in Cincinnati since January 10, 1981, a streak that extends to 26 games. Through the 2014-15 season, Dayton leads the all-time series 84–74. Dayton holds the longest winning streak in the series, with 10 consecutive wins between 1972 and 1977. The longest streak in the Atlantic 10 belongs to both Xavier and Dayton for 150 meetings between the two. Starting in the 2013–14 season, the matchup is once again a non-conference rivalry, after Xavier left the A10 to become a member of the
Big East Conference. After a 9 year hiatus, the teams will meet in a Mental Health Awareness Charity Game at University of Dayton Arena on October 20th, 2024. ==The Blackburn/McCafferty Trophy==