PROVO — Late Friday night, after BYU’s 17-16 victory over San Jose State, Cougar quarterback Tanner Mangum was asked about playing Missouri next Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium.
“I’m really excited for that. It will be a cool opportunity to play in that venue,” Mangum said. “It’s a good SEC team in Missouri.”
However, as of Sunday, it appeared the game between the Cougars and Tigers could be in jeopardy.
That’s because Saturday, 32 African-American football players at Missouri announced they will stop participating in football activities until university system president Tim Wolfe resigns. Missouri’s Legion of Black Collegians are angry in the wake of several recent racial incidents on campus and the way Wolfe has dealt with them.
A black graduate student, Jonathan Butler, started a hunger strike last week to protest the way the school has handled racial harassment.
On Sunday morning, a photo tweeted from the Twitter account of Missouri coach Gary Pinkel showed what appeared to be most of the players and coaches, both black and white, locking arms. “The Mizzou Family stands as one. We are united,” the tweet said.
Wolfe gave no indication Sunday that he plans to resign. He said there will be changes to address racially charged incidents at the school as part of a system-wide diversity and inclusion strategy that's scheduled to be announced in April.
Later that day, Pinkel and athletic director Mack Rhoades released a joint statement:
“Today, Sunday, there will be no football practice or formal team activities. Our focus right now is on the health of Jonathan Butler, the concerns of our student-athletes and working with our community to address this serious issue. After meeting with the team this morning, it is clear they do not plan to return to practice until Jonathan resumes eating. We are continuing to have department, campus, and student meetings as we work through this issue and will provide further comment (Monday) afternoon.”
Attempts to reach BYU officials Sunday for comment were unsuccessful.
According to the game contract, Missouri would owe BYU $1 million if the game is canceled.
BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe, as well as officials at Missouri and Kansas City Chiefs officials, went to great lengths to schedule this game. When it was announced a year ago, it signaled a triumph for BYU, which, as an independent, is looking to upgrade its November schedules.
The two schools announced on Nov. 13, 2014 they had agreed to a two-game series beginning with the game at Arrowhead Stadium, with a second game scheduled to be played at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Nov. 7, 2020.
“It’s a great opportunity and challenge for our football team to play such a fine school as Missouri,” Holmoe said in a statement at that time. “They are a new SEC school with a rich football tradition going back to the Big 12. It will also be exciting for our team to play at Arrowhead Stadium in a region of the country where we haven't been in awhile.”
Meanwhile, Missouri officials said they respect BYU.
"In our mind, they’re a P5 opponent," said executive associate athletic director Bryan Maggard.
Chiefs president Mark Donovan said last November that he began meeting with Holmoe about scheduling possibilities two years earlier. He added that Chiefs coach Andy Reid, a former Cougar offensive lineman who played with Holmoe at BYU, played a role in the discussions.
“We’ve been focused on bringing FBS football back to Arrowhead Stadium for some time and have investigated a number of ways to accomplish that,” Donovan said at the time. “We want to thank both Missouri and BYU for making this possible. We know that this will be a unique opportunity for the players, coaches and fans of both institutions to experience the iconic Arrowhead atmosphere.”
In order to make the Missouri game fit on its schedule, BYU canceled its 2015 game against Idaho State and moved its 2015 game against UNLV to 2017. The vacant spot on UNLV’s schedule was filled by Idaho State. BYU then added Wagner to its 2015 schedule.
According to the Kansas City Star, BYU and Missouri split the cost of Idaho State’s guaranteed money between its contract with BYU ($420,000) and UNLV ($325,000).
“Missouri and BYU agreed to pay for Idaho State’s charter flight to Las Vegas, and for Wagner’s cross-country charter to BYU plus 57 hotel rooms for two nights, six team meals and ground transportation in Provo — three game-day buses, two passenger vans and an equipment truck,” the Star reported.
BYU (7-2) is riding a five-game winning streak and is eyeing a return to the Top 25 rankings.
Missouri (4-5) has lost four consecutive games, including last Thursday’s 31-13 home loss to No. 20 Mississippi State.
The Tigers scored only 12 points in three games in losses to Florida, Georgia and Vanderbilt. Against Mississippi State, Missouri scored its first touchdown in 15 quarters, 33 days and 47 possessions.
BYU and Missouri have met only once — in the 1983 Holiday Bowl. Quarterback Steve Young caught a halfback pass from Eddie Stinnett with 23 seconds remaining to claim a 21-17 victory.
EMAIL: jeffc@deseretnews.com