From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Nov. 12, 1911:

“‘Will you please explain why the Kansas-Missouri game was taken from Kansas City since the admission remains the same — $2.’ That was the query received by the Journal-World yesterday and in answer to which there are many good reasons. In the first place the game was removed from Kansas City when the Missouri Valley Conference made a ruling that no more games should be played off the college gridirons. This eliminated Kansas City. One of the reasons given out at the time was that the commercialism of football must be blocked, that it was a college sport and must be kept within the precincts of the college…. Of all the days the year round there is not one day more full of meaning than Thanksgiving. It is the day set aside by the President by proclamation as a day when all the nation should give thanks for what they have. It was easy therefore for the opponents of football as a game to say that having the contest on Thanksgiving was a desecration of that day — as such it was…. Thanksgiving is not a day to be marred by football games, and so it was ruled that no more could be played on that day.”