Missouri could owe Brigham Young University $1 million if they choose not to appear at the football game this weekend, according to the game contract obtained by the Kansas City Star.
The cancellation clause of the contract lays out a $1 million fee to be paid to the other party if one party “cancels, forfeits, unilaterally delays or postpones, or fails to appear at” this weekend’s game or another game scheduled to take place in Provo, Utah on Nov. 7, 2020.
At least 30 Mizzou football players [are boycotting](https://www.themaneater.com/stories/2015/11/7/missouri-football-players-plan-boycott-until-wolfe/) all team activities until UM System President Tim Wolfe resigns. Wolfe has been criticized for how he has handled race relations in his tenure as president. Coach Gary Pinkel [tweeted](https://twitter.com/GaryPinkel/status/663410502370856960) his team’s support of the boycotting players Sunday morning.
There are many exceptions to the fee included in the contract. Among these are “conditions entirely beyond the control of of the defaulting party, such as war, government restriction, or an act of God,” one party choosing to join a new conference, or “a mutual agreement in writing by the parties to cancel a game or the games.”
If any of these exceptions occur, the defaulting party, in this case Mizzou, will not be required to pay the $1 million fee or any other guaranteed payments in the contract. Some of these other costs listed in the contract include a $250,000 payment to the visiting team and various travel costs associated with a Wagner College game that took place on Oct. 24 and an Idaho State game that occurred on Sept. 26, even though Mizzou did not play in either of these games.
According to the contract, the visiting team or its conference is required to pay game officials, except for the replay crew, which will be paid by the home team or its conference. It is unclear whether these payments will still be required if the game is cancelled.
In other contract news, Pinkel’s contract lists “unjustified prolonged absence from duty without consent of (Pinkel’s) reporting superior” as a reason for termination. However, recent tweets by @MizzouAthletics would suggest Pinkel’s reporting superior, athletic director Mack Rhoades, would consent to this absence.