Its the match up we have all been waiting for. For 9 straight years, the Illini basketball team has trounced the Mizzou tigers in basketball, even in years where Missouri seems to field a better team. Likewise in football the Tigers have made short work of the Illini footballers across several coaching regimes, the Illini have not recorded a win against Mizzou since 1994. The result has been a fairly consistent series of disappointment for both sides. with fans yearning for resolution and an overall winner.

Saturday's lopsided Tiger win in St. Louis, against a more experience and supposedly more talented Illini team merely reaffirmed what the many already knew, this would get us no where. Missouri athletic director Michael  Alden and Illinois athletic director Ron Guenther were left with no choice. The Illini basketball team and Missouri football team must face one another in a tie breaker match to finally determine which school will have control of the valuable St Louis steam boat monopoly, something both schools have been vying for since the two teams first met up in 1896.

"I can't quite understand why the schools want the steam boats so badly," said Illini basketball coach Bruce Weber, "I mean the national highway system, airline industry and rail roads kind of make steam powered paddle boats obsolete don't they?"

Mizzou Football coach Gary Pinkel wondered aloud "isn't there a bridge in St Louis? Why in the world would we want a steam boat?"

The match will be decided according to the charter that was drawn up in 1896, "if no clear winner in sporting events can be determined, then seven athletic fellows from each institution shall participate in a determining match of kick the can, with the winner being awarded the monopoly of all steam powered water travel, both recreational and freight in and around the St Louis area."

The 'kick the can" clause of the contract was something both AD's were hoping to avoid. "I'm not sure any of us can even agree on the rules to the thing."

The early line has the Missouri football team winning by a sizable margin of "two cans, kicked" but Illini fans are optimistic.

"We've got some freshmen who are really excited about this opportunity to show what they can do. I'm not quite sure how, but I am sure the Illini will come out and play the sort of tough man to man defense they are known for."

One X factor will be the play of Blaine Gabbert who is rumored to have extensive experience in the game, and can supposedly scream "ollie-ollie oxen free!" at a level on par with the pros.

No doubt, both NFL and NBA scouts are sure to be in attendance at the rubber match between these two fine Universities.