Report: Missouri Rejected Rivalry Matchup with Kansas in 2022 Liberty Bowl
The Missouri Tigers had the opportunity to reignite their longstanding rivalry with the Kansas Jayhawks in the Liberty Bowl this year, but the team reportedly refused.
According to Brett McMurphy of Action Network, while the Jayhawks "were not opposed" to facing the Tigers for the first time since 2011, Missouri simply "didn't want to play Kansas."
Both Kansas and Missouri went 6-6 in the regular season. The Jayhawks will be making their first bowl game appearance since 2008, which was the last time the team had a record above .500. Kansas had opened the 2022 season with five straight wins before a tough 1-5 stretch to close the year.
Missouri had an up-and-down season but closed the year with back-to-back wins. The Tigers' 29-27 win over Arkansas in rivalry week punched their ticket to bowl eligibility.
The Kansas-Missouri rivalry dated back to 1907 and came to an end in 2011 when the Tigers departed the Big 12 to join the SEC. In 2020, it was announced that the two schools will resume their rivalry in the future, scheduling four games beginning in 2025.
The Liberty Bowl, which is one of three bowl games that features SEC vs. Big 12 teams, would have been a prime chance to give fans a preview of the series between Kansas and Missouri before it officially gets restarted. Thanks to the Tigers' decision, it now appears they will have to wait a few years to see themselves and the Jayhawks clash on the field.
