For the first time since 2011, one of college football’s oldest and most bitter rivalries returns to the gridiron. On Saturday in Columbia, the Missouri Tigers and Kansas Jayhawks will clash in the Border Showdown, a game steeped in Civil War-era hostility, decades of animosity, and unforgettable moments on both the football field and basketball court.
When the rivalry went dormant after Missouri’s departure to the SEC in 2012, it ranked as the second-most-played rivalry in Division I-A history with 120 meetings. Though the hiatus allowed other rivalries to surpass it, the Missouri–Kansas feud still sits eighth all-time in the FBS, a reminder of just how deeply ingrained this series is in the history of college football.
No longer officially called the “Border War,” the rivalry has been rebranded in more politically correct fashion as the Border Showdown. Still, for generations of Tiger and Jayhawk fans, the old name carries weight. They remember that this was never just another football game—it was a battle born of cultural, historical, and regional grudges. Even if today’s college freshmen were only four years old the last time these two teams met, the animosity still simmers beneath the surface.
And make no mistake: Saturday will be bedlam.
Kansas enters at 2-0, already looking like a far cry from the program that was among the worst in the FBS from 2010 through 2022. Head coach Lance Leipold has instilled a toughness and winning attitude that has transformed the Jayhawks into a legitimate Big 12 threat. Quarterback Jalon Daniels, a savvy and experienced leader, is the key to KU’s hopes in this game. When he’s locked in, the Jayhawk offense can move the ball on anybody, but Mizzou’s defense poses one of their stiffest challenges of the season.
Missouri, meanwhile, comes in at 1-0 after a dominant 61-6 thrashing of Central Arkansas. Quarterback Beau Pribula, pressed into the starting role with Sam Horn sidelined, looked the part of a program centerpiece. Pribula threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 65 more, showing off the dual-threat ability that Eli Drinkwitz’s offense desperately needs. For a Tiger team with SEC aspirations, the stakes are clear: losing to Kansas at home would be a crushing blow to its momentum.
History, of course, adds its own layer of drama. It’s been 18 years since the most significant game in the series’ storied history—the 2007 clash at Arrowhead Stadium, when No. 4 Missouri knocked off No. 2 Kansas 36-28 to claim the Big 12 North and a berth in the conference championship. That night helped launch Missouri into the national spotlight, while Kansas’ own magical season ended just short of a shot at the BCS title.
Now, the stage is set for a new chapter. Kansas arrives as a 6-point underdog, but with little to lose and everything to gain. Missouri has the pressure of expectation, a raucous home crowd, and a clear mandate: win this rivalry game or risk seeing the season’s promise unravel before it begins.
“It means a lot to a lot of people.” Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz said during Tuesday’s press conference. “It’s a privilege to wear Mizzou on your chest, and when you wear the Mizzou, you represent the state. There’s a lot of importance and this is a chance to write our part of the story.”
It may no longer carry the title “Border War,” but make no mistake—the hatred runs just as deep. When Missouri and Kansas meet on Saturday, it won’t just be another non-conference game. It will be the rekindling of one of college football’s greatest rivalries, a throwback to the days when bragging rights along the border meant everything.
And come kickoff in Columbia, it will feel like the rivalry never left.
