A victory at the Insight Bowl would be a wonderful late Christmas present for the Kansas University football team and its fans.

Even though the Jayhawks had the day off for Christmas, thoughts of Friday’s journey to Tempe surely was on their minds. For the first time in KU history, a Jayhawk football team is making back-to-back appearances in a post-season bowl game.

The Insight Bowl isn’t as prestigious as last year’s trip to the Orange Bowl, but the fact that KU could field consecutive bowl-worthy football teams is significant. Most college football teams ebb and flow over the years, but KU’s team was mostly ebbing for a number of years before Coach Mark Mangino’s tenure began. Consecutive bowl appearances raise the hopes of Jayhawk fans that KU can build on a winning football tradition.

College athletics too often overshadow a university’s other accomplishments, but a winning team always brings welcome and positive attention to a school. We know KU will be well-represented by its team and fans in Tempe Wednesday. An Insight Bowl victory would be a great way to kick off the new year.