On Monday night, the news broke that the Border War rivalry would be making a return to the college basketball landscape. This rivalry is one of college basketball's oldest series dating back to the first meeting in 1907, in a game Missouri won 34-31 in Columbia.
The first game of a six-game series will tip-off in 2020 on December 12th at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. When these two teams meet next December, it will be for the 268th time, with the Jayhawks holding a 172-95 overall series record. With this much history, it's easy to see why the renewal of the Border War is good for College Basketball.
Much like the great rivalries of college basketball, the Border War brings a certain level of intensity that many fans across the country enjoy only in college basketball.
Regional rivalry games bring a certain level of excitement to the college basketball world, with high ticket sales, tv viewership, and a buzz are all advantages to renewing the Border War.
The renewing of the Border War could also spark the domino effect within the college basketball world. The renewing of this rivalry could start the conversations across the country to bring back some of college basketball's greatest rivalries such as Kentucky and Indiana, Duke and Maryland, Pittsburgh and West Virginia, and many many more. College Basketball needs these games to happen to keep things interesting and to add a little spice to the basketball world.
College basketball is in the best shape it's been in since the days of old where John Wooden, Adolph Rupp, and Dean Smith roamed the sidelines and ruled college basketball with an iron fist. As college basketball turns the corner to the future, the college basketball world needs to respect these rivalries and pay homage to the sports proud history.