Mizzou’s Drinkwitz on playing KU: ‘Ain’t scared to play here, there or anywhere’

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Contradicting a report indicating that the Missouri Tigers football team doesn’t want to play the Kansas Jayhawks in a bowl game, Tigers head coach Eliah Drinkwitz said his team is eager to play KU.

“Ain’t scared to play here, there or anywhere,” Drinkwitz tweeted early Friday evening.

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While Missouri and Kansas have already renewed their rivalry on the basketball court, it appears fans of the Border War will have to wait a few more years before the two universities reunite on the gridiron.

A report Friday morning from Action Network’s Brett McMurphy indicated that Missouri has asked bowl committees and conference administrators not to be matched up with the Jayhawks.

The two schools, both 6-6 and bowl eligible in the same season for the first time since 2008, were rumored to be potential opponents in the Liberty Bowl, which typically features schools from the Big 12 and SEC.

“There was an opportunity for the iconic rivalry to resume in the Liberty Bowl this month,” McMurphy reported. “There was just one problem: Missouri didn’t want to play Kansas, so the matchup will not happen.”

McMurphy added that “the Jayhawks were not opposed to playing the Tigers in a bowl, sources said.”

READ MORE: Border Showdown sells out as Mizzou prepares for KU return

Missouri’s basketball team is scheduled to play Kentucky in Columbia on Dec. 28 at 6 p.m. That’s the same day that the Liberty Bowl is scheduled for a 4:30 p.m. kickoff in Memphis, Tenn. Last season, Missouri played in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 22 in Fort Worth, Texas. That game was played the same day the Missouri basketball program played Illinois in a neutral site game in St. Louis.

On Wednesday night’s Hawk Talk show featuring Kansas basketball coach Bill Self, the reigning national champion head coach suggested a matchup between the two schools would be great for both fanbases.

Instead, KU and MU fans will have to settle for their Dec. 10 basketball matchup. The two schools are scheduled to meet in non-conference games during the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

Friday afternoon, Missouri’s team account tweeted a denial of McMurphy’s report.

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