FAYETTEVILLE — Florida and Miami fight for the War Canoe. Minnesota and Wisconsin play for Paul Bunyan's Axe.

Now, Fayetteville State University and The University of North Carolina at Pembroke has its own rivalry hardware.

The Two Rivers Cup will be on the line Saturday in the inaugural Two Rivers Classic football game in Fayetteville, a contest pitting the Braves against the 24th-ranked Broncos.

Broncos head coach Kenny Phillips and UNCP's Pete Shinnick met Monday at Capel Arena in Fayetteville for a press conference about this weekend's showdown.

The game will kick off at 6 p.m. and is the first of four contests in the new cross-county series.

"The rivalry has already started between the players,"Phillips said. "But we aren't going to win this game with our mouths. Trying to get a win is the best mindset you can have and that's always our goal for Saturdays."

"Naturally, this is a great opportunity for both schools," Shinnick said. "We knew when we started this program a few years ago that this game would eventually happen and we saw it as a natural fit."

According to Phillips, the Two Rivers Classic has the chance of developing into something very special considering the schools are separated by just 47 miles.

"You don't have to travel far for this game," Phillips said, noting the short bus ride to Pembroke for next year's game. "From a fan's standpoint, this is a great game for the Cumberland and Robeson County communities."

The biggest news to come from Monday's press conference dealt with Fayetteville State All-American running back Richard Medlin.

The 6-foot-2 junior from Raleigh will be suspended from Saturday's game after an altercation with an opposing player against Livingstone in Fayetteville State s final game in 2008.

The one-game suspension handed out by the CIAA was confirmed by Phillips as both coaches discussed their starting lineups.

"Someone else has to step up and fill the void," Phillips said. "We've known there was a 50-50 chance for the last few months that he wouldn't play and it was ultimately the CIAA's decision."

Phillips hasn't named a starter in the backfield, but said senior Calvin Harris and freshman Anthony Williams will battle the remainder of the week for the position.

Saturday's winner not only gets a trophy and region bragging rights for a year, but the victor may also score an edge on local recruiting for next season.

"Some of these players grew up playing together in high school," Phillips said. "Saturday, they'll have a chance to do the same at the college level. Players from this county look at both of our schools as successful programs."

The Braves finished 9-1 last season while the Broncos were 8-2 and unbeaten at home.

Shinnick said it was still too early to tell whether or not the rivalry will affect Cumberland County prep football players. It may take several years to see if college choices for local athletes are affected by the new rivalry.

"I'm not sure how it will change the complexion of recruiting, Shinnick said. "I think in the future, you could see it happen. But, (Phillips and Shinnick) both recruit guys who fit in our systems and those players aren't necessarily targets of both teams."