Friday night’s slate of college football games features a marquee matchup between the Kansas Jayhawks and the No. 23-ranked Missouri Tigers. The game is in Kansas and should be a raucous atmosphere.
These two programs do not like each other and the hatred stretches back to the Civil War period. The official Kansas Football account on X reminded everyone of the history and declared this matchup one of “heroes and villains” with a must-see video.
Kansas Jayhawks Give Fans a History Lesson
The video posted by Kansas alludes to the history involving Kansas being a free state and having clashes with Missouri, which was a slave state. It even goes as far to show the face of William Quantrill, who led an attack on the city of Lawrence during the Civil War.
The “Jayhawks” name itself refers to individuals in Kansas who fought on the side of abolition during the Civil War period. It has since became a term for anyone born in the state.
Thus, this rivalry runs deep and Kansas is positioning itself as the “good guys” in this heated rivalry game that made its return last season following a hiatus once Missouri joined the SEC. Dropping hype videos that mention the Civil War is a great way to reignite one of the most historic rivalries in college football.
Kansas just needs to win the game to back up the fact they cited such serious history before a college football game.
Jayhawks Seeking First Win Against Missouri Since 2008
The two teams renewed this rivalry in 2025 and Missouri took home a 42-31 win. In fact, Missouri has not lost against Kansas since 2008 in a thrilling 40-37 finish. That is partially due to the break that lasted from 2012-2024.
That 2008 win was during a brief era of success for Kansas under Mark Mangino. The Jayhawks then became one of the worst teams in college football until Lance Leipold showed up to town and produced a winning season in 2023, the first one for the program since 2008.
Missouri, meanwhile, has been far more consistent since joining the SEC and enters Friday’s game fresh off an easy blowout win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Tigers are favored on the road at Kansas as well.
The video shared by Kansas is receiving both positive and negative reactions on social media. The focus should return to actual football once the game kicks off Friday night.
Kansas Football Cites US Civil War Ahead of Missouri Showdown