Kansas State and Missouri are reportedly bringing back one of college basketball’s old Big 12 rivalries with two scheduled exhibition games, giving fans a rare look at a matchup that hasn’t happened since 2018.
The teams will meet twice—first in Columbia, Mo., before this season, then again next year in Manhattan, Kan.—bringing back memories of a heated Big 12 matchup.
Missouri, coming off a 22–12 season, tied for sixth in the SEC and made the NCAA Tournament under coach Dennis Gates. The Tigers aim to improve defensively and see these exhibition games as a key test against a familiar rival.
Kansas State at Mizzou exhibition is a go. And a return to Manhattan the following season. Exhibition or not, Jerome Tang still aiming to bring quality opponents to Bramlage Coliseum. Creighton comes to MHK in 2026-2027, too. https://t.co/EgsNpeBbDJ
— Derek Young (@DerekYoungKSO) July 9, 2025
Kansas State has dominated recent matchups, winning the last five games in the series and holding a slim all-time edge at 121-116. The Wildcats last faced Missouri in 2018, routing the Tigers 82-67.
For Kansas State, this season is a pivotal reset.
Head coach Jerome Tang faces pressure to deliver after missing the NCAA Tournament in consecutive years.
The Wildcats return only three scholarship players: point guard David Castillo and forwards Mobi Ikegwuruka and Taj Manning.
But the roster got a boost from the transfer portal, adding MAC Player of the Year Nate Johnson (Akron), Bowling Green’s Marcus Johnson (16.2 PPG), and Memphis standout PJ Haggerty, a second-team All-American.
Other newcomers include Khamari McGriff (UNC Wilmington), Abdi Bashir (Omaha), international signees Elias Rapieque and Andrej Kostic, plus 6-foot-11 JUCO big man Stephen Osei, who is expected to redshirt this season.
Last year, the Wildcats finished 16–17 overall and 9–11 in Big 12 play, tying for ninth.
Though exhibitions, these games against Missouri carry more weight than usual as both teams aim to prove they’re on the rise.