This is a historic rivalry that was dormant for way, way too long, and the ratings for both basketball games this year, and the highly competitive football game in the fall, shows the kind of regional and national interest in the Sunflower Showdown.

It is disingenuous to believe that the biggest rivalry, and most important rivalry, in this conference exists between Texas and Oklahoma. That is simply not the case. When you look at the trio of Kansas, Kansas State, and Missouri, you will be hard pressed to find a series of rivalries that goes back farther with more historical significance. It’s good for the North to have such fierce rivalries because it allows us to have the spotlight for a while, and it makes the conference stronger when the North division can hold its own in terms of national interest.

Some of the best basketball in the country is played within a four hour stretch of interstate highway between Manhattan, KS and Columbia, MO. And the long-term commitments of Bill Self, Mike Anderson, and Frank Martin will do nothing but continue that trend and make the North Division the dominant basketball division in this conference year in and year out.

and I hope it works out for you guys, but we’ve seen this footage countless times in college athletics. If a UCLA, Kentucky or Michigan State were to come calling, the likelihood is that Martin would be gone in a heartbeat. However, my own Hawkeyes have a football coach who has eschewed opportunity in favor of loyalty and happiness, so a “true love” relationship is possible in college sports, just not common.