Aug 28, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; A large MIZ flag is displayed after the Missouri Tigers score against the Central Arkansas Bears during the second half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium.

The Border War is back between Missouri football and Kansas.

For the first time since 2011, the Tigers (1-0) and Jayhawks (2-0) will face off at 3:30 p.m. in front in front of a sold-out crowd at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri. This is the first matchup between the programs since Missouri moved to the SEC.

It's the first time the teams will square off in Columbia since 2006, meaning it will be the first time Kansas will hear the Tigers' tradition of playing the Killers' "Mr. Brightside" at the end of the third quarter.

After the Tigers moved to the new conference, they wanted to keep the matchup alive, but the Jayhawks "vowed to never play Missouri again." However, the game is back on in 2025 and three more games are scheduled for the future.

Here's what you need to know about the Border War and its history:

Border War history

Despite the football teams not meeting on the field until this season, the basketball teams resumed their rivalry in 2021, with Kansas winning the first three matchups and Missouri earning its first win last season.

The rivalry between the states dates back to the Civil War era. Both schools historically earned their school nicknames and mascots from war. The "Jayhawkers" were known as robbers who terrorized border counties in the slave-state supporting Missouri. Meanwhile, "Tigers" is a reference to the group of soldiers who protected the city of Columbia from pro-Confereracy guerrillas, including some who were involved in the burning of Lawrence, Kansas, to the ground.

The first matchup between the programs occurrred in 1891, 25 years after the end of the Civil War.

In 2004, the name of the series was changed from "Border War" to "Border Showdown."

Missouri football record vs Kansas

According to Missouri's 2025 media guide, the Tigers are 57-54-9 all-time against Kansas. Missouri won the last three matchups, including a 24-10 win in 2011. However, according to Kansas, the series is 56-55-9 with the Tigers leading the way.

The first meeting occurred in 1891 and the series continued through 2011, except for 1918, for a total of 120 contests.

  • Series record: Missouri leads the series 54-50-4
  • Missouri's last win: 2011 (Missouri 24, Kansas 10)
  • Kansas' last win: 2008 (Kansas 40, Missouri 37)

Future of Border War

In March 2020, the schools agreed to continue the football rivalry beginning in 2025 and announced four games in 2025, 2026, 2031 and 2032.

  • Sept. 6, 2025: Kansas at Missouri (Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium, Columbia, Missouri)
  • Sept. 12, 2026: Missouri at Kansas (David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, Kansas)
  • TBD, 2031: Kansas at Missouri (Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium, Columbia, Missouri)
  • TBD 2032: Missouri at Kansas (David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, Kansas)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Border War history: Series history between Missouri and Kansas football

Reporting by Ehsan Kassim, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect