The rivalry between the Kansas Jayhawks and Missouri runs very, very deep. The beef between the states dates all the way back to the Civil War, when Kansas was part of the Union and Missouri was a border state. While the rivalry between the schools doesn't run quite that deep, it is still one of the most bitter in all of college sports.
While the basketball teams have renewed their rivalry over the past few years (one game each year since 2021), the football teams haven't faced off since 2011. That changes in 2025. For the first time in 14 years, the Jayhawks and Tigers will square off on the gridiron.
Kansas and Missouri renew Border Showdown in 2025
This series, which dates back to 1891, is one of the oldest and most competitive in college athletics. The Jayhawks won 13 of the first 18 matchups (with two ties), but it has been back and forth ever since. The Tigers hold the all-time series lead with a record of 57-54-9.
Missouri didn't take the series lead until the famous 2007 matchup, when the fourth-ranked Tigers took down the second-ranked Jayhawks en route to a Big 12 Championship appearance. That was also the best season for Kansas in the previous 100 years, and ended with an Orange Bowl victory for the Jayhawks.
The Tigers would go on to win three of the final four matchups before leaving for the SEC in 2012. Coming into the 2025 matchup, they are riding the momentum of a stellar 2024 season. They went 9-3, with all three of their losses coming on the road against ranked opponents. Their season was capped off by a win over Iowa in the Music City Bowl. The Jayhawks, however, are coming off a very disappointing 2024.
After winning their season opener, the Jayhawks would go on to lose their next five games by a combined 28 points. To make matters worse, they led in the fourth quarter in all but one of those games. They would blow one more late lead against Kansas State, but managed to finish the season on a much higher note than it started. They went 4-2 over their final six games, racking up wins over three ranked teams and completely shaking up the top of the Big 12 standings.
Both teams will have major holes to fill in 2025. The Tigers are losing their quarterback, leading rusher, and two leading receivers. One of those receivers is projected first-round pick, Luther Burden III. The Jayhawks do have their quarterback returning, but just about every piece around him will be new. The team's leading rusher and five leading receivers all played their final collegiate season in 2024. The respective transfer and freshman classes could play vital roles in the success of these two teams.
The final meeting between these teams back in 2011 was an ugly game, with a combined 289 passing yards and five total turnovers. The only Kansas touchdown came on a pick-6 early in the game. Missouri wouldn't allow another point and was able to pull out a 24-10 win in what would be the final meeting between the two teams for the next 14 years.
It doesn't get the national hype of some other rivalries like Alabama-Auburn, Oklahoma-Texas, or Michigan-Ohio State, and that is mostly due to the teams involved not having the same amount of success as those teams normally have. However, these two teams despise each other, plain and simple. It's a rivalry with 150 years worth of buildup and it will be unleashed once again on Sept. 6.
Mark your calendars.