The official first meeting between the two schools occurred on December 21, 1932, where the Tigers hosted the Illini at Brewer Fieldhouse.

Over the next half-century, the two teams met ten more times, culminating with a back-and-forth series called the Show-Me Classic.

However, the Illini went on a decade-long winning streak under Bill Self and Bruce Weber, while at the same time Missouri basketball floundered with Quin Snyder as coach.

Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, it was decided that the 2020 Braggin' Rights game would not be held at the Enterprise Center, but rather at one of the teams' home stadiums.

A coin flip, performed by Andy Katz, took place on November 12, 2020 that determined Missouri would host the December 12, 2020 game.

The trophy is displayed in a glass case in the Enterprise Center lobby, where it occupies either an orange-and-blue or black-and-gold space in the cabinet, depending on who won.