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The return of the Border War headlines charity exhibition games for hurricane relief

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Michael Porter Jr., Missouri Athletics

Christina Long

The Border War is coming back.

Kansas and Missouri have received a special NCAA waiver to play a third exhibition game this preseason as the Jayhawks and Tigers are hoping to raise over $1 million for hurricane relief efforts. Playing for the first time since 2012, Kansas and Missouri will play at the Sprint Center in Kansas City on Sunday, Oct. 22 at 3 p.m.

Officially announced on Friday, Kansas and Missouri are hoping that the Showdown for Relief can draw a sellout crowd as one of the best rivalries in college sports is renewed. The two schools, the Sprint Center and the Kansas City Sports Commission are all working to donate proceeds from the game to organizations that the five living former U.S. Presidents have come together to support.

Formerly bitter conference rivals for over 100 years, Kansas and Missouri haven’t met since the Tigers bolted for the SEC in 2012. While fans undoubtedly want this rivalry to come back during college basketball’s regular season so that the game will count for something in the standings, this is a wonderful idea to help raise money for hurricane victims while giving fans a taste of what they want. This game is a step in the right direction in fixing a frosty relationship between the two programs.

While the on-court action likely won’t be too intense, it will also be fun to see how Missouri’s Michael Porter Jr., one of the best freshmen in the country, looks against the Big 12 favorites as he prepares for what will likely be his only season of college hoops.

Following suit and also hoping to raise hurricane relief money, Kansas State and Missouri State also announced plans for an exhibition game of their own to be held on Saturday, Oct. 21 at Bramlage Coliseum. Although not nearly as high-profile as the renewal of the Border War, the Wildcats and Bears also deserve credit for coming together for a worthy cause. Formal details of that game will be announced on Monday.