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Troy-South Alabama rivalry now has championship belt (Photo)

The in-state rivalry between South Alabama and Troy now has a name and a trophy.

The two Sun Belt foes will square off Saturday in the “Battle For The Belt,” with a brand new championship belt on the line.

The belt will be presented to the winning team after the game. Moving forward, the belt will feature the scores of games from the series moving forward.

The student government associations from the two schools created the rivalry’s new name and championship belt. And though the rivalry is only a few years old (it began in 2012), the schools, which are about three hours apart, already consider one another to be their biggest rival.

"In the hearts of students, Troy has always been our biggest rival. The 'Battle for the Belt' is the culmination of those passions," South Alabama Student Government Association President Ravi Rajendra said. "The introduction of the trophy to the rivalry will offer a new way for Jag Nation to connect with our football program. The concept behind the Belt stemmed from our student body and was accompanied by insight from our football team; the football team really liked the concept of a wrestling belt, and the Belt also plays off of the Sun Belt Conference of which both Troy and USA are members."

Players and coaches are on board with the move.

“I like it,” Troy running back Brandon Burks said, per the Montgomery Advertiser. “After they (South Alabama) lose this time, when they try to win it next time, it will be better.”

Added Troy coach Neal Brown: “it’s a natural rivalry game. It’s a game where a lot of our guys know theirs, and vice versa. We’re close in proximity. We play in the same conference. We battle on the recruiting front a lot. I think it’s worthy of a trophy.”

Athletic directors from both schools voiced their approval for the game’s new stakes and the initiative shown by the student governments.

"We deeply appreciate and support this initiative by the student leadership of these two great universities," said South Alabama AD Dr. Joel Erdmann. "Rivalry trophies — or in our case the rivalry belt — seem most effective when created through a legitimate grassroots effort that enhances the emotional connection to the game.  We look forward to Saturday as we battle for the belt."

Added Troy’s Jeremy McClain: “The student government bodies on each campus should be commended for their work in making this a reality.  I am a firm believer that a strong rivalry makes each institution better, and I look forward to many years of intense, respectful competition between Troy University and the University of South Alabama."

With both teams now in the Sun Belt, the rivalry will be played on a yearly basis. Troy won the first two meetings in the series in 2012 and 2013 (a 34-33 finish that came down to the wire), while South Alabama won last year’s contest, 27-13.

Troy is 1-2 on the season with a win over Charleston Southern and losses to NC State and Wisconsin. South Alabama dropped to 2-2 last weekend with a loss to NC State that followed wins over Gardner-Webb and San Diego State and a loss at Nebraska.

Saturday night’s game at Troy’s Veterans Memorial Stadium kicks off at 7 p.m. ET.

For more Troy news, visit TroyReport.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!