ST. LOUIS — The death of the Illinois-Missouri rivalry has been greatly exaggerated.
Sure, neither team was ranked going into Wednesday’s 35th edition of the Braggin’ Rights rivalry. Who cares?
If they were both 0-12, the game would still be worth watching.
To test my theory, I asked a Braggin’ Rights veteran. Former Illini Jerry Hester was part of five games in the series.
“Loved it,” Hester said. “It’s the best atmosphere, outside NCAA tournament games, that I played in at the University of Illinois.”
He knows his record against Missouri. No need to check the media guide.