Bill Self Reveals His Thoughts on the Future of Kansas-Mizzou Rivalry

Bringing back the Border Showdown to college basketball is one of the best things both schools have done in recent history. The longtime cross-state rivals had not played since 2012 when Missouri departed for the SEC, but the rivalry resumed in 2021 as part of a six-year series.

However, after the 2026-27 campaign, there are no more scheduled contests between the bitter enemies. The initial agreement included two home-and-home contests followed by two consecutive games at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. Now, it could be a decade or more before the two schools meet on the hardwood again.

MU head coach Dennis Gates has previously said he sees the rivalry as a long-term endeavor, stating that it should last for 50 years and is good for college basketball. But when Kansas coach Bill Self joined CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein on an episode of the Inside College Basketball Now podcast earlier this week, he had a different tone about the future of the series.

Self didn't deny that the tradition of Kansas and Missouri playing is great for the sport, but noted that scheduling conflicts could make it difficult to play annually.

"I'm certainly open to it, but I don't know if there's an update yet," Self said about whether the schools were in talks on a new scheduling agreement. "I don't know where our administration is on a lot of different things. It's different now — you go to 20 league games, you got the CBS deal with Ohio State, the Champions [Classic] against Kentucky. We're playing in a season-opening game next year in Allegiant Field... it starts running into, how much do you want? Because our league is a monster."

Kansas vs Missouri — Dec 7, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) dribbles the ball against Missouri Tigers guard Annor Boateng (6) during the first half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Many Missouri fans have sparked outrage online over the quote, with some saying Self is ducking the Tigers. (Obviously, that's not what Self was saying.) The Jayhawks have come out on top in four of the five contests since the rivalry was renewed, but there's much more at play here than simply whether Kansas wants to keep playing Missouri.

College basketball has become incredibly monetized over the past few years. The same goes for the opponents that are scheduled. That's especially true with events like the Players Era Tournament, which KU just renewed its agreement with through the 2030-31 season, offering $1 million in prize pool money.

As Self explained, those games can provide meaningful financial benefits for the players and NIL collective.

Right now, this year's rendition of the Border Showdown is set to be the last one for an extended period. Self had a similar answer when talking about the rivalry back in December when the two teams played in 2025.

"You know what, I don’t know. And it’s not because of me — do I like the game? Yes. But I also like going to the Players Era Tournament and getting money for the guys’ NIL. I also like those types of things too, so I think everything has changed on how you approach scheduling. So we’ll approach it in a way that’s best for us moving forward, and my administration will have more to say on that than I actually will."

That's probably the clearest explanation of where things stand. The two schools could settle on an agreement to resume the series at some point, but nothing appears to be imminent. There are a lot of things at play that make it tricky for KU, and for now, the 2026-27 matchup could be the last chapter of the Border Showdown for quite some time.

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