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The Ten Most Interesting Facts About the Sunflower Showdown Rivalry

Here is a look at ten interesting facts and information involving the rivalry between Kansas and Kansas State. These two teams will play each other for the 113th time on the football field.
Ryan Kay|
Big Jay and Willie the Wildcat part ways following an interaction at Saturday's Sunflower Showdown.
Big Jay and Willie the Wildcat part ways following an interaction at Saturday's Sunflower Showdown. | Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Kansas State WildcatsKansas Jayhawks

The rivalry between the Kansas State Wildcats and the University of Kansas Jayhawks is known as the "Sunflower Showdown," as it is named after the state flower of Kansas.

These are ten of the rivalry's most fascinating facts and details, mostly about their rivalry in football between the Wildcats and Jayhawks..

10. Among the most prolonged ongoing rivalries in all of college football. The football series has been played continuously since 1911 and nearly annually since 1902, making it one of the longest in NCAA history. In college football, this makes it the fourth-longest running series.

9. One of the most underrated rivalry trophies. In football, the teams vie for the Governor's Cup. After the "Governor's Trophy" from the inaugural meeting and the "Peace Pact Trophy" (miniature bronze goalposts) that were used in the 1940s to deter supporters from demolishing the losing team's goalposts, this is actually the third trophy connected to the rivalry. However, the Governor's Cup trophy has been given to the winner of the game since.

8. Unequal dominance in basketball and football between Kansas and Kansas State. Historically, the rivalry has been unequal in various sports, especially in football and basketball. With a current 16-game winning run (2009–present), the longest in either school's rivalry, Kansas State has dominated the contemporary period. In men's basketball, the sixth-most-played series in NCAA history has typically been dominated by Kansas.

7. Overall series record disagreement between the two schools. KU and K-State disagree on the official overall record in football between these two football programs, and here is why. The discrepancy stems from the 1980 game, which KU won on the field, but the conference ordered a forfeit due to an ineligible player. KU does not recognize the forfeit as a K-State win, leading to different overall records claimed by each school.

6. Historical origin in statehood for both schools. After Kansas became a state in January of 1861, the towns of Lawrence, the home of the University of Kansas, and Manhattan, the home of Kansas State University, engaged in a bitter battle to become the official location of the state university. This was the beginning of the rivalry.

5. The biggest margin of victory in this football rivalry. Kansas State's resounding 64-0 victory over KU in 2002 sets a record for the largest margin of victory in this Sunflower Showdown rivalry.

4. Series lead shifts in favor of the Wildcats by the mid-90s. Despite K-State's recent long win streak and dominance since the 1990s, Kansas still leads the overall football series (64–53–5 or 65–52–5, depending on whether the forfeit game of 1980 is honored). This is due to KU's dominance in the series before 1993, holding a 61–24–5 advantage through the 1992 season. However, the Widcats have won 16 straight games in this rivalry and are hoping to extend the streak to 17.

3. The 1987 Futility Bowl is one of the most memorable football games between these two schools. The 1987 Sunflower Showdown game, which concluded in a 17-17 tie, stands out in the rivalry's history as a particularly memorable game that was also nicknamed the Toilet Bowl. KU had just one win, and K-State had no wins entering this game, hence the other nickname. The Governor's Cup trophy was reputedly taken back to the Capitol building by the Kansas governor, who was so unhappy with the poor performance until the teams played again the following year.

2. The time that both teams were ranked in the AP Top 25 poll was when they were playing each other 30 years ago. In the entire history of this football rivalry, only once have both teams met while ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. The game took place back in 1995, when No. 14 K-State defeated No. 6 KU, 41-7. However, in 2023, the Wildcats were ranked #21 and the Jayhawks #25 in the College Football Playoff poll that season when they played each other. Kansas State won by four points in a closely contested game.

1. Bill Snyder changes the rivalry in Kansas State's favor. The shift in football dominance is often attributed to legendary K-State coach Bill Snyder, who began his tenure in 1989 and propelled K-State's program to national relevance, reversing decades of stagnation. Similarly, KU's basketball dominance is tied to a history of great coaches like Phog Allen, Ted Owens, Larry Brown, and Bill Self. Snyder's record against Kansas as the head coach of the Wildcats was 13–3. His K-State team lost three times versus Kansas in his first four seasons, but he won all nine games he coached against them after the first three seasons.

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Ryan Kay
RYAN KAY

Ryan Kay is a journalist who graduated from Michigan State in 2003 and is passionate about covering college sports and enjoys writing features and articles covering various collegiate teams. He has worked as an editor at Go Joe Bruin and has been a contributor for Longhorns Wire and Busting Brackets. He is a contributor for Kansas State On SI.

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