NW, although established in 1882, awarded its first bachelor degrees in 1961. After scraping by during the Great Depression and the subsequent war, the school had recently undergone a transformation from junior college and youth academy to full-fledged liberal arts institution. NW’s future was bright academically and athletically, with the school’s burgeoning athletic programs vying for national championships at the end of the decade.
However, a similar story was unfolding just eleven miles down the road. Midwest Christian Junior College had just opened its doors, and would be renamed in a few years to Dordt College.
Almost instantly, a rivalry began. For generations, the two colleges have faced off in enrollment, academics and most importantly, football. Few campus events garner the attention that the annual Dordt bout receives. The game a couple of weeks ago serves as a fine example; Dordt University assumed control of NW’s typical student section, bringing with them cowbells, fist-pumps and signs reading “Ugly Girls Go to Northwestern.” NW sprawled out in the south endzone, jeering at anyone who cared to listen. A spirited Raider fan splashed water onto the field and was promptly removed. However, it was no use.
The loss to the Defenders was the first in school history. While shocking for much of the student body, many community members found themselves distraught as well. Take a moment to check in on the NW alumni in your life.
“I’m gonna be sick,” 1990 alumni, Linda Else, recounted after the game. For older fans, the thought of a Dordt victory is too much to bear. “My parents won’t even go to the games for fear of Dordt pulling off a win,” laughs an ‘88 grad.
The NW-Dordt rivalry extends far past a September afternoon. On Highway 10 West there is a dazzling Dordt billboard waiting right as Raiders exit Orange City’s limits. Going out of Sioux Center heading south, Defenders are greeted with a bold “Raiders Stand Out” sign.
It seems only right that the two schools would despise each other. In most everything, Dordt and NW are remarkably similar. Both are faith based institutions with Reformed ties. Both are situated in small northwest Iowa towns, and tend to fare well in GPAC standings across all sports. The problem might be that the schools are too similar, resulting in an unspoken battle for the region’s premier Christian college.
A Sheldon native and keen observer of all things Northwest Iowa, exclusively referred to NW and Dordt as “Jerusalem and Bethlehem.” Other Sheldon natives have called the phenomenon a sort of “holy war,” finding it ironic that two schools with such commitment to faith could be so ruthless to each other from the bleachers.
It is a holy war, indeed. It seems as though the two schools will continue to pack the stands
of athletic events, place billboards as close to each other as city code allows, and remain each other’s biggest opponent for seasons to come. To quote author Susanah Clarke, “Two must always struggle for mastery. Two must always watch each other. The eyes of all the world will be on two, uncertain which of them to follow.”
Cheers, Raider fans. Let the “holy war” commence.
