Gary Pinkel on renewing Kansas rivalry: Jayhawks have an ‘open invitation’

Are you listening, Kansas?

With the SEC mandating a Big 5 opponent on the annual schedule starting in 2016, Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel reiterated Kansas has an open invitation to get back onto the schedule and renew a rivalry.

Dubbed the Border War, 120 games were played annually from 1891 to 2011. When asked today during a Google Hangout, Pinkel said Mizzou wants the rivalry to return.

“We want to play Kansas again. It was a great rivalry we had all those years,” Pinkel said. “It’s been an open invitation. There’s some pouting going on still.

“It’s unfortunate, but it will happen again someday. It will. It would be great for our fans. In every sport, it would be good. We’ll see what happens.”

SEC fans aren’t familiar with the Border War, but the rivalry ended when Missouri left the Big 12 for the SEC in 2012. Mizzou leads the series 57-54-9.

The ball remains in Kansas’ court to get this great rivalry back on the schedule. Missouri has won five of the last six games.

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