On 31 May 1985, the football teams from the universities of Oldenburg and Groningen played against each other for the first time.

Five years after the two universities signed their cooperation agreement, football enthusiasts established a tradition: every six months, football teams from both universities played alternately in Groningen and Oldenburg for a "Chancellor's Cup" donated by the Presidential Boards and Chancellors. The idea came from the Oldenburg university football team, which was founded in 1979.

The participants in the very first match between Oldenburg and Groningen are shown in the group photo. Most of the players (there were also female players later on) were administrative staff, with a few academics joining in, especially on the Oldenburg side.

In the first game, the Oldenburg team won 3:2. UNI-INFO reported afterwards that the Groningen team had competed "under the very dubious motto for Oldenburgers: 'We'll chase the East Frisians vigorously across the meadows'". However, neither this nor the Oldenburg victory would have spoilt the good relations with each other. The matches led to cross-border friendships, some of which still exist today.

Even though the Oldenburg team won the opening match: The Dutch won more games overall. Football - traditionally a unifying element of German-Dutch friendship - thus also contributed to the fruitful and long-standing partnership between the University of Oldenburg and the University of Groningen. The last match for the time being took place in 2012. A lack of young talent was the reason why this wonderful tradition was not continued. However, sport continues to bring people together: some Groningen residents now run in the Oldenburg Marathon as part of the "General Practice Run" team, organised by Prof. Dr Michael Freitag from the Department of General Practice.