Missouri is set to take on No. 21 Kansas this Sunday as part of their Border War rivalry. The game will be held at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, a supposed neutral site, but the Tigers' head coach Dennis Gates doesn't see it that way.
"At the end of the day, this is not a neutral site game. This is a home Kansas game," said Gates. "They have 99% of the tickets. We probably have 0.5% at the end of the day. We have to go out and win a road game--a tough road game."
Mizzou preparing for a road game environment against Kansas
The game is officially labeled as a neutral site game, but it appears coach Gates is treating it as a hostile environment road game. The site, which will host next year's game as well for its last year of the contract, is 40 miles from Lawrence and 126 miles to Columbia.
Gates also added that he'd like to see the game return to campuses, instead of current neutral site format which tends to benefit Kansas the most. Whether or not his ticket claims are truly accurate remains to be seen, but there's no doubt the crowd will lean Jayhawk. Still, coach Gates is looking forward Sunday's clash in what he considers a great rivalry.
“It’s not just another game for anybody," Gates said. "It’s a game that means something. This is the 272nd contest between the two programs, and I’m looking forward to this weekend.”