The school's best players were being prohibited from participating because of poor grades. A new official at the University enforcing that policy seemed hell-bent on ruining the team's season.
The Mizzou players responded by threatening to strike. The Post-Dispatch reported that half the team refused to sit at the training table and that prospects for settlement were poor.
The Tigers would return to the practice field, complete their schedule and finish with a 4-4-1 record in 1900, including a season-ending tie with Kansas.