COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri would owe BYU $1 million if Saturday’s nonconference game in Kansas City, Mo. is cancelled.
The possibility exists, CBS Sports has learned, after the football program joined a protest against Missouri’s system president, Tim Wolfe, that includes a hunger strike by student Jonathan Butler. Missouri’s players will not take place in any football-related activities until Wolfe resigns. As of Sunday, Wolfe said he has no intention to step down.
Tigers’ coach Gary Pinkel tacitly joined the movement Sunday when he tweeted: “The Mizzou Family stands as one. We are united.”
The Mizzou Family stands as one. We are united. We are behind our players. #ConcernedStudent1950 GP pic.twitter.com/fMHbPPTTKl
— Coach Gary Pinkel (@GaryPinkel) November 8, 2015
The Missouri players joined a student group protesting Wolfe’s lax oversight of race relations on campus.
CBS Sports was able to obtain a copy of the contract signed by both schools Nov. 11, 2014. It calls for a two-game series. Game 1 is Saturday at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium. The return game is set to be played at BYU in 2020.
The home team is required to pay the visitor a modest $250,000 rescheduling fee for each game. Saturday is considered a Missouri home game.
The cancellation clauses make up the biggest part of the contract. The “defaulting party” agrees to pay $1 million to be paid no later than 30 days after the scheduled game if it’s not played within that window.
Missouri did not practice Sunday. Tight end Jason Reese told reporters the Tigers would not practice “until this is resolved.”
