Governor's Cup (Kansas)

The Sunflower Showdown is the series of athletic contests between Kansas State University and the University of Kansas athletic programs, most notably football and men's basketball. The name is derived from a nickname for the state of Kansas as well as the state flower, the Sunflower State.

The two schools compete each year for the Governor's Cup in football. The football series dates back to 1902, and has been played every year since 1911, making it the fourth-longest active series in NCAA college football. The University of Kansas built a large advantage in the series by 1923, and leads the overall series 64–53–5 or 65–52–5 (depending on whether a 1980 forfeit by KU is counted) as of the end of the 2023 season.

The men's basketball series dates back to 1907, and is the most-played series in either school's history, and the sixth-most-played in NCAA history. Kansas has dominated the all-time series and leads the men's basketball series 206–96 following the most recent game on January 18, 2025. This is the most victories by one school over another in NCAA Division I men's basketball. Kansas has led in the all-time series since 1922, and since 1984, Kansas leads the series 87–15.

In football and men's basketball, despite some competitiveness in the rivalries in the past, both sports have dominated by one team in the rivalry since 1990. In football, Kansas State is 28–6 since 1990. In men's basketball, Kansas is 72–10, excluding three vacated wins.

In 2010, Dillons bought the naming rights and the series was re-branded "The Dillon's Sunflower Showdown".

Origins

The rivalry between the two schools can be traced indirectly back to their creation in the 1860s. The towns of Manhattan, Kansas (now home to KSU) and Lawrence, Kansas (now home to KU) both competed to be the site of the state University – required in the Kansas Constitution – after Kansas achieved statehood in 1861. Manhattan would have become the home of the university in 1861, but the bill establishing the University in Manhattan was controversially vetoed by Governor Charles L. Robinson of Lawrence. An attempt to override the veto in the Legislature failed by two votes. In 1862, another bill to make Manhattan the site of the University failed by one vote. Finally, on the third attempt, on February 16, 1863, the Kansas Legislature designated Manhattan as home to the state's Land-grant university. Yet the legislature was not done. Prodded by former Governor Robinson, the Legislature distinguished this institution from the "University" in the Constitution, and on February 20 the Legislature named Lawrence as the home to the state university (provided Lawrence could raise $15,000 and acquire not less than of land). When Lawrence met these conditions, the University of Kansas was established there in 1865.

The first recorded meeting between the two institutions in athletic competition was a little more than thirty years after their founding, in a baseball game in 1898.

Football

History

The two teams had a very long history prior to the inauguration of the Governor's Cup: they began play in 1902, with only a single interruption in 1910, and have now faced each other every season since 1911, making this the fifth-longest continuous series in college football history. The four longer active series are these: Lafayette-Lehigh (since 1897), Minnesota-Wisconsin (since 1906), Oklahoma-Oklahoma State (since 1910), and Wake Forest-North Carolina State (since 1910). It is the second-longest rivalry between two public universities in the same state featuring the names "University of _ vs. _ State University" (behind Oregon vs. Oregon State).

The two schools disagree on the overall series record, though both agree KU leads the series. The difference arises from the 1980 game, which KU won 20–18 on the field. However, the Big Eight Conference ordered KU to forfeit the game after a player was ruled ineligible. As a result, KU claims to lead the overall series 65–52–5, and KSU reports that KU leads 64–53–5. KU cites NCAA policy to explain its refusal to recognize the 1980 game as a KSU win. The policy states that NCAA schools must acknowledge forfeits imposed by the NCAA or those dictated by the rules of the game, without specifically referencing conference-imposed penalties.

The Governor's Cup is the third trophy associated with the rivalry. In 1902, in the first match-up, a "Governor's Trophy" was given to the winning team. Then, beginning in the 1940 football season, the winner of the KU-KSU contest received the "Peace Pact Trophy", which was miniature bronze goalposts. The trophy was intended to keep the winning team's student body from tearing down the loser's goalposts. These trophies were forgotten in time.

The series was largely dominated by Kansas until 1992 with the Jayhawks owning a 61–24–5 lead through the 1992 season. Since 1993, the Wildcats have dominated the series with a 28–4 record including an active 16 game win streak, the longest by either team in the series history.

Series overview

Notable games

1910: The cancelled game

Kansas and Kansas State have played each other in football every year since 1902, except for 1910. The 1910 game was cancelled after the two teams were unable to agree to eligibility rules for the contest. KU coach A. R. Kennedy tried to compel Kansas State to play the game by publishing provocative comments in the Lawrence newspaper in May 1910, but Kansas State coach Mike Ahearn refused to change his school's rules.

1927–1933: Road wins

For seven straight years, from 1927 to 1933, the two teams alternated wins, with the visiting team winning every game in contrast to the usual home field advantage in sports. In the six games from 1928 to 1933, every game was also won by shutout. The streak was ended when KSU won at home in 1934 (another shutout).

1969: First Governor's Cup game

Kansas State won the first contest in the Governor's Cup series 26–22 on October 11, 1969, in Lawrence, Kansas. The game was a classic in the series, contested by two high-quality teams. Kansas was coming off an appearance in the Orange Bowl the previous season, led by future Pro Football Hall of Fame running back John Riggins, while Kansas State in 1969 was an offensive juggernaut led by quarterback Lynn Dickey and running back Mack Herron. The game was not decided until the final play, when two K-State defenders jarred the ball loose from a KU receiver in the end zone. The loss sent KU's season into an irreversible tailspin, and the Jayhawks, suffering greatly from the loss of Bobby Douglass and John Zook to the NFL, finished the season 1–9, culminating with a 69-21 loss to Big Eight Conference champion Missouri at home.

Following the game, Kansas State fans tore down the goalposts in KU's stadium – an act with a long history in the rivalry, and that K-State fans would repeat in 1994 after ending an 11-game losing streak in Lawrence.

1980: The forfeit

On November 1, 1980, Kansas defeated Kansas State 20–18 in Manhattan, Kansas to take a 9–3 lead in the first dozen years the Governor's Cup was awarded. However, it was later determined that Kerwin Bell, a running back for Kansas in that game, was a partial qualifier despite his high school transcripts indicating otherwise and he was ruled academically ineligible at the time of the 1980 season. In 1982 the Big Eight Conference ordered Kansas to forfeit three conference wins and one tie from the 1980 season, including its victory in the 1980 Governor's Cup game. As a result, the two schools now dispute the overall record in both the Sunflower Showdown and more recent Governor's Cup series, with each school claiming victory in the 1980 game.

1987: The Toilet Bowl

The lone tie during the Governor's Cup era took place on November 7, 1987, in Manhattan, and is the most infamous game in the history of the series. Dubbed "The Toilet Bowl" and "The Futility Bowl" by national commentators, the game featured 1–7 KU and 0–8 K-State; the contest lived down to expectations and resulted in a 17–17 tie, which was secured when Kansas blocked a field goal as time expired.

Following the tie, both teams lost their last two games of the season, with KU coach Bob Valesente being fired following the season. While his counterpart, Stan Parrish, kept his job, he was fired in 1988 after the Wildcats posted a 0–11 season to extend their winless streak to 28 games. Parrish's firing led to the hiring of Bill Snyder, who would shift the direction of the series in favor of the Wildcats and built them into a powerhouse.

1995: Two ranked teams

The first match-up in history of the rivalry while both teams were ranked occurred on October 28, 1995, in Manhattan. The University of Kansas came into the game 7–0 and ranked #6 in the AP Poll, while Kansas State University was 5–1 and ranked #14. Both teams would finish the season ranked in the top ten, but this day belonged to Kansas State. KSU started strong and maintained the advantage throughout for a decisive 41–7 victory.

2002: 64–0

Kansas State, 6–2 and ranked #14 in the AP Poll, routed Kansas in the largest margin of victory in the series by either team, 64–0, in Lawrence. The Wildcats built a 30–0 lead at the end of the 1st quarter and lead 43–0 at halftime. Wildcat quarterback Ell Roberson ran for 3 touchdowns and threw for another as the Wildcats outgained the Jayhawks 494–115. The Jayhawks also committed 7 turnovers in the loss. KSU went on to finish the season 11–2 and beat Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl, while the Jayhawks, under first year head coach Mark Mangino, finished the season at 2–10 and winless in conference play.

2004: Streak buster

An 11-year winning streak by KSU that began in 1993 – at that time, the longest by either team in the series – was broken on October 9, 2004, when KU won a back-and-forth 31–28 thriller in Lawrence. The head coach of the Jayhawks was Mark Mangino, a former Wildcat assistant under KSU coach Bill Snyder. Mangino bested his mentor in Snyder's final visit to Memorial Stadium during Snyder's first term as KSU coach.

2007: KU wins in Manhattan

In 2007, KU won in Manhattan for the first time since 1989 (as of the end of the 2024 season, KU has not won in Manhattan since 2007), and also posted its only victory over a ranked KSU team. KU entered the game 4–0 while KSU had a 3–1 record, but KSU was favored in the contest and ranked 24th in the AP Poll. Kansas overcame several mistakes through the course of the first half, tying the contest 14–14 at halftime. Following a strong second-half performance by KU, the visitors from Lawrence posted a 30–24 victory. KU went on to build an 11–0 record on the season before losing to Missouri, and secured an at-large bid to the 2008 Orange Bowl.

2010: A century straight

For the 100th consecutive season, KU and KSU faced each other on the football field on October 14, 2010, in Lawrence. It was only the seventh college football rivalry in history played for a century straight. (Other series have subsequently reached the mark of 100 straight years or more.) The game was the second since Bill Snyder returned to coach KSU and was reminiscent of earlier blowout Wildcat victories during Snyder's first tenure, with KSU claiming a 59–7 victory over KU.

2023: First ranked matchup in 28 years

The 2023 edition of the Sunflower Showdown was played in Lawrence and featured both teams being ranked for the first time since 1995 and the first time ever in the College Football Playoff poll era. Kansas entered the game ranked No. 25 in the College Football Playoff poll while Kansas State was No. 21. Both teams were 7-3 entering the game. Kansas State won the back-and-forth game 31–27.

Game results

Men's basketball

The two schools have had a strong rivalry in basketball for several decades, peaking in the 1950s. Recently, the University of Kansas has been dominant in the series, including a winning streak of 31 games over K-State that lasted from 1994 to 2005. Despite the lopsided record, the rivalry has become more relevant again in recent years, with both teams ranked in the AP Top 25 for many of the match-ups.

Jeff Sagarin's rankings of the nation's top programs by decade in the ''ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia'' nicely track the history of the rivalry. In the 1950s, when the rivalry was at its peak, Kansas State finished the decade ranked as the #3 program in the nation and KU was ranked as #4. In the 1960s KU was ranked #9 for the decade and KSU was ranked #11. In the 1970s, the programs were again nearly even, with Kansas State ranked at #24 and KU at #25. In the 1980s some separation appeared, as KU finished the decade ranked at #19 and Kansas State at #31. The big difference appeared in the 1990s and 2000s when KU was ranked at #4 and #2 for the decades, while Kansas State does not appear anywhere in the top 40.

Even when the schools are at different levels, upsets are always a possibility in the rivalry, as when Kansas State upset a KU team that was ranked #1 in the AP Poll on January 17, 1994, or when KU pulled the upset on a K-State team ranked #1 on January 17, 1953. Most recently, K-State beat a #1 KU team on February 14, 2011 in Manhattan. Over the decades, the rivalry has seen a number of notable coaches match wits, including Jack Gardner, Tex Winter, Lon Kruger and Jack Hartman at Kansas State, and James Naismith, Phog Allen

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