The current Kansas-Missouri men’s basketball series is on track to wrap this season, and what comes next is still unclear.
The Border War rivals are set to finish out the six-game agreement on Sunday, Dec. 6, at T-Mobile Center. After that, there has been no public word yet on whether the matchup will return under a new deal beginning in 2027-28.
KU coach Bill Self said Thursday on the Inside College Basketball Now podcast that he is open to keeping it going, but he does not have an update.
“I’m certainly open to it, but I don’t know if there’s an update yet,” Self said.
He added that he does not know where Kansas’ administration stands on the issue and pointed to how crowded the schedule already is becoming.
“I don’t know where our administration is on a lot of different things. It’s different now. You go to 20 league games, even though we’re going up a game to 32 (allowed by NCAA), just look at the games (on schedule).
“We’ve got the CBS deal with Ohio State (Dec. 19 in New York). You’ve got the Champions Classic with Kentucky (Nov.
10, Chicago). We’re playing in an opening-season game next year (against Indiana on Nov. 12, 2027) in Allegiant Field (in Las Vegas).
So we’re going to play a game to open up the season there. You’ve still got to get a marquee home-and-home.
So that’ll be one game home, one game away.”
Self said the calendar keeps getting tighter as more major matchups pile up.
“it’s it starts running into, ‘Hey, how much do you want?’’’ Self continued.
“Because our league is monster. And then are we playing Houston and Arizona and BYU and Texas Tech and whoever twice next year?
I mean it’s a monster. Then you throw in this year, which I think will be really good, we’ve got two exhibition games (at home) - Louisville and Duke.
“Even though those games won’t count … but I think from a fan interest standpoint it will be something that will get everybody jacked to start a season.”
Self also said the most likely outcome is that the Big 12 schedule grows from 18 to 20 games for the 2027-28 season.
“Us coaches … we wanted 18 so we could control our schedule a little more,” Self said. “Then with the 32, I think there’s a chance the ADs now want 20, and it’s being discussed, which I think is fair, but from my standpoint I would rather be at 18 at Kansas and then I can control my schedule and then the games that you mentioned beforehand (such as KU-MU) I think that brings a lot of interest to a fan base and things like that to add one or two of those.”
Kansas won the most recent meeting, an 80-60 victory over Missouri at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City last year. Before that, Missouri beat the Jayhawks 76-67 on Dec. 10, 2022, in Columbia. Kansas also won 73-64 on Dec. 9, 2023, in Lawrence, 95-67 on Dec. 10, 2022, in Columbia, and 102-65 on Dec. 11, 2021, in Lawrence.
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