Border War Rejection? Tigers Refute Unwillingness to Play Kansas in Liberty Bowl
Back in the heyday of the Big 12, the rivalry between the Missouri Tigers and Kansas Jayhawks, otherwise known as the Border War, was one of the fiercest in the conference.
Now, thanks to a thrilling win over the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Tigers' regular-season finale, the rivalry had a chance to make a comeback, with the Tigers and Jayhawks having a chance to reunite in the Liberty Bowl on December 28.
However, according to a report from the Action Network's Brett McMurphy, that will not happen, with the Tigers apparently refusing to play against their old rivals.
The official Missouri Football account has since tweeted in response to McMurphy's report and has denied those claims.
“Not True," Missouri Tweeted. "looking forward to our bowl game vs. any team!"
Kansas was reportedly open to the matchup.
McMurphy now projects Missouri to play in the Gasparilla Bowl against East Carolina, while he sees the Jayhawks playing Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl.
It will be the third straight bowl game for the Tigers.
Unfortunately, the two teams have not played one another since 2011 - the Tigers' final year in the Big 12 before heading to the SEC in 2012.
Missouri ended the series in 2011 with three straight wins over the Jayhawks, 57 wins, 47 losses and nine ties, and had won five out of the last six matchups.
In 2007, the two teams even had one of the most pivotal matchups of the year, when a No. 4 Mizzou team led by Chase Daniel, took on a No. 2 Kansas team led by Mark Mangino as head coach.
Mizzou won that game 36-28 and went on to play for a Big 12 title.
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