The Kansas-Missouri rivalry may go by the Border Showdown now, but the old Border War label still carries the kind of weight that makes this matchup different. It is not just a football game to plenty of people on either side. The history is part of the noise.
That’s showing up loud and clear before Friday’s game in Lawrence, where Tigers and Jayhawks fans are tossing around Civil War-era history like it’s another form of pregame chirping. The rivalry dates back to the first Mizzou-KU football game in 1891, only 26 years after the Civil War ended, and the connection to that era is exactly why this one keeps circling back to names and events that still stir people up.
The timeline matters here. Kansas was admitted to the Union 73 days before the Civil War began, and the conflict between Missouri citizens and the Kansas territory had already been brewing for years. John Brown, General Order No. 11 and William Quantrill’s Raid are all part of the story, and they’re also part of the trash talk now making the rounds ahead of the game.
Kansas athletic director Travis Goff jumped into the fray on X with a post about the original Jayhawkers. He wrote: “These are the original Jayhawkers, after executing a daring jailbreak in the slave state of Missouri.
They rescued an Underground Railroad leader who was imprisoned by pro-slavery forces for helping slaves escape to freedom. #RightSideOfHistory #FreeState #BorderBattle”
That drew a sharp reply from Matt Derrick, the Chiefs Digest writer, who answered: “Jayhawkers were considered thieves, marauders & guerrillas (hence why yours were in jail) know for atrocities such as the Sacking of Osceola.
“Guerrillas were a problem in Missouri too. A Union home guard was founded to defend against Confederate raiders: The Fighting Tigers of Columbia.
“That’s the right side of history, Trav.”
From there, another person pushed back with a different take: “I hesitate to bring history to a collegiate sport pissing match, but Considered thieves, marauders, and guerrillas by whom, the slave owners?”
He followed that with: “both sides were doing acts of terrorism
“one side was doing them in furtherance of the abolition of slavery and the other side was doing them in furtherance of white supremacy
“this really is not hard at all.”
The back-and-forth has kept rolling, with social media serving up more of the same kind of historical one-upmanship. Some users argued that “Yes.
But we were never slavers. Thank God.”
Others leaned harder into the old rivalry, with one post calling it “Celebrating a racist pro slavery murderer typical Missouri trash” and another saying, “I mean it was the 1800s everyone was either raping people or owning slaves. The fact anyone tries to use John Brown to take the moral high ground is nuts. Raped and murdered so many union members but because they didn’t own slaves it’s somehow alright.”
There was also this from one Kansas supporter: “Gods soldiers don’t murder. #kansasisalandofpagans”
And another summed up the online battle in plain language: “In short: Tigers = not terrorists, Jayhawkers = terrorist pic.twitter.com/XRayr2qyHh”
The point, at least as far as the internet is concerned, is that both sides think history is on their side. That’s what has turned a football rivalry into a full-blown historical argument in the days before kickoff.
As one person put it after watching the debate unfold: “I’ve heard more historical arguments this week than talking about the actual game”
In Other News...
Missouri Heads To Kansas With More Than Rivalry Bragging Rights
Kansas and No. 23 Missouri will renew their historic football rivalry in Lawrence, giving the matchup a little extra edge beyond the usual early-season measuring stick. Both teams arrive off opening-week wins, and coaches Lance Leipold and Eli Drinkwitz have each framed the game through the lens of preparation, poise and what this rivalry still means in a landscape where so few old border battles remain on the calendar.
For Missouri, there is also the practical matter of getting healthier up front, with left tackle Cayden Green possibly back from injury for the trip. The long pause in the series only adds to the stakes, because unless the teams cross paths in the College Football Playoff, they will not see each other again until the 2031 and 2032 seasons, making this one of those rare games where history, timing and timing again all seem to matter at once. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Faces A Border War Test That Could Swing On One Matchup
The Border War is back on the calendar, and Missouri heads into David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium knowing this one has the feel of more than just an early-season measuring stick. Kansas brings an offense shaped by coordinator Andy Kotelnicki that has been built to push the pace and stress defenses, while the Tigers are preparing for the kind of game where one clean matchup or one busted assignment can change the tone fast. Add in the rivalry history and the buzz around both young quarterbacks, and the setup is exactly what you would expect when these two get together.
For Missouri, the challenge is not simply matching intensity but handling the swings that come with a game like this on the road. The atmosphere should be lively, the stakes feel bigger than a normal nonconference date, and Foxs broadcast slot only adds to the spotlight. The quarterback play on both sides is part of what makes it intriguing, but the real question is whether Missouri can manage the one area that could tilt everything before the night is over. [Read more 🡒]
Missouri Suddenly Has A Running Back Problem At The Worst Time
Missouris backfield was already thin, and now it has been hit hard before the season has really had a chance to settle in. Running back Malae Fonoti is done for the year after suffering a non-contact ACL tear in the season opener, and head coach Eli Drinkwitz said Fonoti will undergo surgery. It is the kind of early setback that can ripple through an offense quickly, especially for a team trying to establish depth behind its top options.
The concern does not stop there, either. Backup Ahmad Hardy remains unavailable while he recovers from a gunshot wound, which leaves Xai'Shaun Edwards in line as the likely No. 2 back behind Jamal Roberts. For Missouri, that makes every snap in the run game feel a little more fragile, and it puts added pressure on the players still standing to absorb a workload the Tigers were not planning on this soon. [Read more 🡒]