Lance Leipold says return of Mizzou-Kansas rivalry ‘will be special’
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Kansas coach Lance Leipold spoke about the return of the Border War rivalry at Big 12 Media Days on Wednesday.
Leipold admitted he didn’t realize that Kansas vs. Mizzou was a more intense football rivalry than Kansas vs. Kansas State when he arrived in Lawrence ahead of the 2021 season. The Jayhawks and Tigers haven’t met on the gridiron since 2011 when they were both members of the Big 12.
However, that changes this year as Mizzou will host Kansas at Faurot Field on Sept. 6. Leipold spoke about the renewal of a great rivalry and what it will mean to travel to Columbia in September.
“Rivalry games are what makes college football so special,” Leipold said, via Kevin Flaherty. “And I didn’t really realize when I first got to Lawrence that the Kansas-Missouri game is more of a rivalry than Kansas-Kansas State.
“But to go to Columbia this year will be special. I’m sure there’s a lot of people on both sides of it that are going to be fired up, and to see some of these rivalries get renewed is special and will be a great time and we’re looking forward to it.”
Kansas will be hoping to snap a 3-game losing streak to Mizzou. The Jayhawks have not won in Columbia since November of 2004. However, the last 5 editions of this game were played in Kansas City rather than in home stadiums. The last time these teams faced off on a campus site was in 2006.
Mizzou is currently a 6.5-point favorite over the Jayhawks, per the latest odds at FanDuel. Sports betting in Missouri will launch later this year, so here’s a FanDuel Missouri promo code if you’re interested in a sign-up bonus with one of the top sportsbooks available.
Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on Sept. 6.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
