AZUSA, Calif. -- It's back.

After a five-year pause in one of Southern California's best rivalries, Azusa Pacific and Biola will resume the storied rivalry with a new chapter in 2017. The schools have partnered to create an annual rivalry series which will be called the Cornerstone Cup, and the rivalry trophy will be awarded annually to the athletic program with the most success in head-to-head matchups throughout the year.

A total of 140 points will be awarded, with 10 points per sport going to the winner of the most head-to-head contests in each particular sport. The 10 points will be split if the schools tie or win the same number of matchups in a sport. The full scoring chart is listed below.

"Bringing this rivalry back to the Azusa Pacific community is an honor," said Azusa Pacific Director of Athletics Gary Pine. "It's only been five years since we were conference rivals, but it feels like five generations. I have many fond memories of this rivalry, and I look forward to seeing this rivalry help shape the experience of current and future students at Azusa Pacific. I am thrilled to partner with Biola to rekindle one of the best small college rivalries in the country while maintaining a firm commitment to our cornerstones."

Azusa Pacific and Biola have competed in intercollegiate athletics for over 50 years, and the schools were rivals in the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) for 18 years (1994-2012) as National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) members. The last conference matchup between the schools was in April of 2012, and next week's volleyball clash between the schools will end the 1,980-day gap between head-to-head meetings as conference opponents.

Azusa Pacific is in its fourth year of NCAA Division II active membership and joined the Pacific West Conference in 2012 while completing its transition to NCAA Division II. Biola is in its second year of the three-year membership process and is entering its first season of PacWest membership. The campuses reside less than 20 miles apart, making the rivalry easily accessible by Southern California standards to students and community members alike.

"We appreciate the strong collaboration we've had with the Azusa Pacific administrative staff," said Biola Director of Athletics Dr. Bethany Miller. "It's been exciting to work with them on this campaign as we embark on this new era of athletic competition. We are excited to have strong, competitive experiences with them and we just have so much respect for them as we move forward and renew this rivalry together."
 

CORNERSTONE CUP SCORING FORMAT

SPORT	Points Available	Points Awarded To
Volleyball	10	Winner of most regular season head-to-head matchups
Women's Soccer	10	Winner of most regular season head-to-head matchups
Men's Soccer	10	Winner of most regular season head-to-head matchups
Women's Cross Country	10	Higher finish at PacWest Championship meet
Men's Cross Country	10	Higher finish at PacWest Championship meet
Women's Basketball	10	Winner of most regular season head-to-head matchups
Men's Basketball	10	Winner of most regular season head-to-head matchups
Women's Swimming & Diving	10	Higher finish at PCSC Championship meet
Softball	10	Winner of most regular season head-to-head matchups
Baseball	10	Winner of most regular season head-to-head matchups
Women's Tennis	10	Winner of most regular season head-to-head matchups
Men's Tennis	10	Winner of most regular season head-to-head matchups
Women's Track & Field	10	Higher finish at PacWest Championship meet
Men's Track & Field	10	Higher finish at PacWest Championship meet
TOTAL	140