Mizzou Football Moves Border War to Friday Night

The long-running rivalry matchup will be played under the lights in 2026.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 4:21pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a college football rivalry game, with sharp, overlapping planes of color representing the teams and energy of the matchup.The renewed Border War rivalry between Mizzou and Kansas will take on a new Friday night energy in 2026.Lawrence Today

The University of Missouri football team has announced a scheduling change for the 2026 season, moving the annual Border War matchup against the University of Kansas from Saturday to Friday night on September 11th. This will be the second installment of the revived rivalry series, which was on hiatus for 14 seasons before returning last year.

Why it matters

The Border War is one of college football's oldest and most intense rivalries, dating back to 1891. Moving the game to Friday night will create more anticipation and excitement around the matchup, as well as potentially attract a larger national television audience.

The details

Last year, Mizzou claimed the first game in the renewed Border War series, winning 42-31. The Friday night matchup will continue the four-game revival of the rivalry, with the series returning again in 2031 and 2032. Mizzou currently holds a 58-54-9 all-time lead in the series.

  • The 2026 Border War will be played on Friday, September 11th.
  • Last year's Border War matchup was played in Week 2 of the 2025 season.

The players

Mizzou Football

The University of Missouri's NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program, which competes in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

University of Kansas

Mizzou's longtime rival, the University of Kansas Jayhawks, who compete in the Big 12 Conference.

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What they’re saying

“New date for the Border Showdown 🗓️”

— Mizzou Football

What’s next

The game time and television broadcast details for the 2026 Border War matchup will be announced at a later date.

The takeaway

The scheduling change to Friday night adds even more excitement and anticipation to one of college football's oldest and most intense rivalries. Mizzou and Kansas will renew their long-standing feud in front of a national audience, continuing the revival of a series that was on hiatus for over a decade.