Kansas City, Mo. ? Well, it’s official. Playful, harmless, memorable Missouri-bashing by Kansas University football fans that used to take place on campus must now take place on Missouri soil.

Sure, it was only a two-year deal that was announced Monday, but does anybody really believe that if the move to Arrowhead Stadium is the cash cow the schools hope it will be the game will be played in Kansas ever again?

Officials from both schools insist the agreement is merely a trial balloon, and clearly at least one side isn’t completely convinced it will work. Otherwise, the agreement would have been longer. Still, just in case, cherish the memories of the last time you looked from your seat with Missouri in town and saw blankets on the hill, the last time you walked through the parking lot, the scent of hot dogs warming your spirits, the Mizzou-bashing banners everywhere.

Oh well, here’s the good news: Sources say the Nebraska game isn’t in any danger of being moved to Omaha.

Here’s the bad news: Aside from Nebraska, the remaining home games scheduled for KU’s Memorial Stadium in 2007 are Central Michigan, Southeastern Louisiana, Toledo, Florida International, Baylor and Iowa State.

BYOP. Bring Your Own Pillow.

Look for the goal posts to come down if the Jayhawks can avenge last fall’s overtime loss to the University of Toledo Rockets. After all, a victory against UT is a victory against UT, right?

Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins said the fact the Missouri game is played on Thanksgiving weekend – when students had nowhere to stay in Lawrence – was a consideration in agreeing to move it to his beloved Kansas City.

Actually, though, a check with Dr. Diana Robertson, interim director of student housing at KU, revealed that McCollum Hall, Jayhawker Towers and Stouffer Place remain open throughout Thanksgiving weekend. Those dwellings account for 1,900 of the 5,200 students who live on campus, Robertson said. That leaves 3,300 without a place to stay.

Could this be the first domino in KU bringing its big games to Kansas City? Could the Sprint Center become the site of marquee basketball games?

“One basketball game a year in Kansas City,” Perkins assured. “That’s not going to change.”

Perkins asked for an open mind from those opposed to the football idea.

“We’re trying something different,” he said. “I think it’s exciting. I think it’s great. We’re looking at it from a business standpoint. Obviously, financially it’s great. That extra million dollars will pay for a lot of young people in our Olympic sports to be able to do some things they wouldn’t have an opportunity to do.”

Perkins is aware this won’t sit well with the town in which he lives.

“The merchants downtown have been great to us,” Perkins said. “I understand what the issues are, and I respect that. I hope they respect it back the other way. We bring more athletic events to Lawrence than anyone ever has. We bring 20 home basketball games to Lawrence. They’ve never had that before. They’ve had 16, 17. We still have seven (football) games (in Lawrence). We’re only bringing one home football game to Kansas City.”

Quantity isn’t the lone issue here. This is college athletics. Shouldn’t there be some room left for sentimentality?