LAWRENCE, Kan. — It’s redemption time for the Kansas Jayhawks as they host the Kansas State Wildcats in the second Sunflower Showdown in as many weeks.
The No. 7 ranked Wildcats earned bragging rights by beating the No. 8 ranked Jayhawks in their first matchup of the season.
The second edition tips off Tuesday evening in Lawrence at 7 p.m.
Fans who don’t have tickets to the showdown may need to make plans to watch the game somewhere.
It will be aired on ESPN+, which is a subscription streaming service that costs $9.99 a month. ESPN+ is also included in the Disney Bundle. The option includes Disney + (with ads), ESPN+ (with ads), and Hulu (with ads) for $13.99 a month.
ESPN+ does not offer a free trial, but customers can cancel the subscription at any time.
Some fans may think the price is worth the added expense, but there are also local bars and restaurants airing the game.
“It’s a big deal for us,” said Rick Peterson, general manager of Blue Moose in Lenexa.
Peterson said the Sunflower Showdown streaming is great for business and expects to get some cash for his crew.
“A lot of people who may not come out on a Tuesday night. Well now they are,” Peterson said. “That helps our businesses a lot, not just here at the Blue Moose, but around our city in general.”
Mostly, Wildcat and Jayhawks fans agree it’s frustrating this game isn’t on TV, especially because both teams are ranked in the top 10.
“I think the games that they’ve chosen are a little confusing,” Wildcats fan Jay Patterson said. “I think they’re playing like a random unranked Big Ten teams tonight. This should be the premiere game I would think.”
“I feel it’s frustrating, especially for those in times right now when the economy’s hard,” KU fan Morgan James said. “People have to pay extra money just to watch it. It’s hard. Everybody should be able to enjoy the game for free.”
“I think it should be on TV. I think it should be on national TV because look what has happened to K-State. They’ve gone from the bottom to almost the top,” Nancy Volpe said. “I think it’s frustrating.”
While both fan bases can agree on this, come game time, they’ll be battling for the win.
“I want the sweep,” Patterson said. “I want to win both games because it’s probably been a long time since that’s happened.”
“Rock chalk,” James said. “It’s get the win.”
K-State is 2-1 since the Wildcats beat the Jayhawks 83-82 in overtime at Bramlage Coliseum on Jan. 17.
Kansas stopped its three-game skid Saturday at Kentucky, gaining momentum heading into Tuesday’s rematch with K-State.
The Jayhawks have not been swept by K-State since the 1982-83 season, and the Wildcats haven’t won inside Allen Fieldhouse since 2006.
