Excitement Brews for Kansas-Missouri Rivalry

As you might guess, I’m quite the enthusiast when it comes to college football rivalries. Seriously, I’ve even shared my thoughts on rivalries that have faded away over the years, and one that I couldn’t help but highlight was the match-up between Kansas and Missouri. So, you can imagine how thrilled I am that these two teams are set to clash once again.

This historic rivalry, formerly known as the Border War until 2004, has been around since 1891. It carries a level of intensity and animosity that really makes college football unique—it’s something you just don’t find in other sports.

Rivalry Discussions Resurface

This kind of intensity was palpable in a recent hype video released by the Jayhawks. Honestly, while I appreciate the passion, I think they may have crossed a line with some of their commentary.

I’m all for spirited rivalry banter, but suggesting that Missouri is “evil” because it was a slave state over 160 years ago seems a bit extreme, wouldn’t you say? It’s funny, really—they had to rename the Border War to the Border Showdown to avoid evoking violent imagery. Yet here’s Kansas’s social media team saying, “Oh, remember the Civil War? Our opponents were on the side of slavery.” That feels a bit like painting with a broad brush, if you ask me.

Also, let’s not forget that no one connected to the University of Missouri has any connection to the Civil War era. It’s a little unfair to label them all as “evil.” And interestingly, many of the Mizzou players showcased in that video are Black. I can confidently say they’re not representing the Tigers out of support for slavery.

As if that’s not enough, the cherry on top is that the track used in the video, “Superhero (Heroes & Villains),” was produced by none other than Metro Boomin, who hails from St. Louis in—you guessed it—Missouri.

So, kudos to the Jayhawks for their enthusiasm. But really, let’s not make it that deep. It’s a rivalry, not a historical lesson.