Jayhawks invoke Civil War history to stoke Border War rivalry with Missouri
Kansas and Missouri renew their long-standing rivalry, with Kansas using a mural and video referencing the Civil War, including abolitionist John Brown and Quantrill's Raiders, to promote the game. The Jayhawks are 1-0 and host No. 23 Missouri in the 122nd meeting. The video frames the matchup as a battle between heroes and villains.
The "Tragic Prelude" mural, painted by John Steuart Curry, hangs in the Kansas State Capitol rotunda and depicts John Brown holding both a Bible and a rifle amid Union and Confederate soldiers. Kansas football's promotional video also references Quantrill's Raiders, the pro-Confederate group behind the 1863 Lawrence Massacre that killed roughly 150 men and boys, as well as the Jay-Hawkers, anti-slavery fighters who opposed them.
Friday's game marks the 122nd meeting between the programs, with both teams entering at 1-0. Missouri arrives ranked No. 23 in the AP Top-25, while Kansas hosts in Lawrence, a city with direct historical ties to the violence referenced in the promotion.
This promotional approach could deepen the emotional stakes of an already intense rivalry, potentially drawing broader national attention to the game and its historical echoes. Some viewers may find the Civil War framing compelling, while others could see it as trivializing serious historical trauma. The strategy may also influence how future rivalry games are marketed, as schools weigh the benefits of provocative storytelling against concerns about historical sensitivity.