Intensity of Kansas-Missouri rivalry? KU’s Self says ‘it’s not just another game’
Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball coach Bill Self, who interviewed for the head coaching job at Missouri in spring 1999 — only to lose out to current Atlanta Hawks coach Quin Snyder — has instead become a true nemesis to the Tigers.
He’s directed KU to a 19-4 record against Mizzou heading into Sunday’s noon Border War battle at Mizzou Arena, where Self’s record as the Jayhawks’ head coach is 5-4.
One reason for the Jayhawks’ success against rival Mizzou just might be this: Self stresses the importance of these KU-MU games to his players. Adding to the spiciness of this weekend’s matchup, both teams are 7-1.
“I didn’t approach as just another game (in mentioning MU during Thursday’s film session) because in all honesty, it’s not just another game.” Self said Friday. “It’s not as important as league games. But from a nonconference standpoint, we can circle Duke and Michigan State or Carolina and everything ... Hey, this game is circled right with those.
“I mean this is a big game for us and I’m sure it’s a big game for them, but certainly we’re looking at it as a big game.”
Self, who played college basketball at Oklahoma State, first experienced the KU-MU rivalry at a young age.
“I was part of it one year. I saw it that one year,” said Self, who worked as a grad assistant on Larry Brown’s staff during KU’s 1985-86 Final Four season.
“I was, ‘Wow,’’’ Self said. “I saw and felt that.”
During that 35-4 season, KU defeated MU 81-77 in Columbia and also won 100-66 at Allen Fieldhouse. Missouri left the Big 12 for the SEC in 2012 and the rivalry was put on hold until the 2021-22 season, when the schools agreed to a six-year, six-game series (which KU leads 3-0).
Self remembers former KU football coach Don Fambrough, as well as basketball players on KU’s 1952 NCAA title team, telling him about the importance of beating MU.
“(They said) in general terms, ‘We don’t like them and they don’t like us.’ That makes for a pretty heated rivalry,” Self said Friday.
KU is 2-0 versus the Tigers in Allen Fieldhouse and 1-0 in Mizzou Arena. Sunday’s showdown is the final game of the series that will be played in a campus venue. KU and MU will play in T-Mobile Center during the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons.
Self was asked if he has enjoyed the renewal of the storied Border War series.
“’Enjoy’ is probably a little strong,” he said. “I think it’s been good for us. I cant speak for them. I would probably say the same thing for them, where fans have it on the schedule and it’s something to look forward to. I’m sure it’ll be as hostile a situation as we’ve gone into. That’s two pretty big ones in one week because Creighton was good, too.
“This will be more from a hostile situation than just a lot of people in the building like Creighton which still was a great crowd. We’ll have to be much better than we were handling an opposing team’s atmosphere than we were this past Wednesday.”
KU fell 76-63 to Creighton on Wednesday in Omaha.
As for what comes next, it sounded on Friday as if Self is not against continuing the series once this current six-year arrangement expires.
“I’m sure it’ll be reviewed by the higher-ups,” he said. “I don’t know exactly what that’ll look like moving forward. I mean, guys, I’m not coaching in 10-year increments, so I don’t know what they’ll want to do.
“But certainly I think it’s been good so far and it’s been good for season tickets. And the next two being in Kansas City, I think, will obviously be good for both schools from a revenue standpoint.”
