For the purposes of this content today I needed to establish some parameters. Since this is primarily a college football blog I need to point out that rivalry trophies are not included in today’s list. The good reason for that is the sheer amount of college football rivalry hardware that would need to be combed through. A few months ago, Banner Society published an article sort of ranking these rivalry games and included 156 trophies. That’s too many for me.

For today’s rankings I am including only major sports championship trophies. Here are the top ten in the world:

#10 Grey Cup Winners

This trophy has been awarded to the champions of the Canadian Football League for over 100 years and recently received its 4th-ever makeover. It keeps improving with time.

Yes, it’s a blatant rip-off of the country’s more popular hockey trophy but that’s okay. The medium sized cup sitting on top of the base makes it look a little different and adds an unique touch to the sport of football in North America.

#9 The Commissioner’s Trophy

Leave it to Major League Baseball to have a trophy that is named after the job of the boss of the sport. A version of this trophy debuted for MLB back in 1967 and since 1997 they have been awarding it to the champion on the field instead of inside the locker room.

The latest design from Tiffany & Co. kept the 30 flags representing each club in the league, but tweaked the base and removed the smaller gold baseball on the inside for a larger baseball that fills the entirety of the inside.

#8 Venus Rosewater Dish

Awarded to the winner of the women’s Wimbledon singles championship, this sterling silver salver was made in 1864 by the now defunct Elkington & Co. group out of Birmingham, England. It wasn’t awarded until 1886 for the third Wimbledon championship on the women’s side.

Since it wasn’t specifically made for tennis the plate depicts the Greek concept “Sophrosyne” which means temperance, prudence, and self-control. Yup, that’s a good fit for how the All England Club views itself and the game.

#7 The Golf Champion Trophy

More commonly known as the Claret Jug for The Open Championship (more commonly known as the British Open, the Brits sure love multiple names for things) this trophy goes all the way back to 1872. Prior to that the champion was given a winner’s belt which honestly sounds awesome.

Appearance alone the Claret Jug isn’t overwhelming but the history is impressive and it’s just the right size for the sport of golf. [stares menacingly at the PGA Championship Wanamaker Trophy]

#6 The Larry O’Brien Trophy

First awarded to the NBA champions for the 1976-77 season, this trophy retained its name as the Walter Brown A. Brown trophy until 1984 when it switched to Larry O’Brien who was league commissioner prior to David Stern.

The previous trophy was passed from champion to champion, although the “LOB” trophy stays with the champion nowadays and they make a new one each year. Depicting a ball about to enter a net this is the top gold plated trophy in North American sports.

#5 Premier League Trophy

Although the top tier of English soccer has been around since 1888, the Premier League has been awarding this trophy to their champion since 1992-93 when the new system was created. The EPL actually has two trophies (a good idea when the champion isn’t awarded until the last game of the season and the trophy may need to be in 2 separate stadiums) and the one given to the champions has to be returned to the league 3 weeks before the end of the next season.

The two lions adorned with crowns added to the large crown atop this trophy make it one of the more appealing in sports. When the EPL adds in the ribbons in the colors of the winning team it provides an unique look for a championship trophy.

#4 The Vince Lombardi Trophy

Crafted by Tiffany & Co. for the first Super Bowl back in January 1967, the Vince Lombardi Trophy (re-named in 1970 after Lombardi’s death) is likely the most popular symbol of team athletic success in the United States. A new trophy is made every year so the winning team keeps their copy each season.

New York Giants part-owner Steve Tisch brought the 1990 Lombardi Trophy to my high school (he’s an alum) and I can verify it feels a lot heavier than its listed 7 pounds.

#3 The DFB Pokal

The German translation for this trophy is literally the German Football Association Cup. While the winner of the Bundesliga gets an awesome trophy similar to the Wimbledon version above (plus a gallon of beer for every player immediately after clinching on the field) there’s something uncommon and exclusive to the DFB Pokal.

No other trophy that I could find in the world combines an effect of looking like it was crafted in the Alps 700 years ago and yet looks like it was produced by the finest jeweler in the world last week.

#2 The Heisman Memorial Trophy

Hey, college football! How many other trophies in the world can be mimicked during a game? Or by millions of kids across the country? Or by the annual winner standing right next to the trophy?

It’s pretty cool that you have decades upon decades of Heisman winners being with the trophy stretching all the way back to 1935 with Jay Berwanger who won it for the first time. It’s an individual award that is unrivaled in sports by its history and notoriety.

#1 The Stanley Cup

Even if you’re not a hockey fan you’re probably well aware of the Stanley Cup and its history.

It may take hundreds of years for another trophy to surpass this beauty.