02/05/26 04:35:00
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02/05 16:33 CST BYU athletic director confident Big 12 schools serious about
stopping fan chants targeting Mormons
BYU athletic director confident Big 12 schools serious about stopping fan
chants targeting Mormons
By ERIC OLSON
AP Sports Writer
A BYU team was the target of a derogatory chant in an opponent's venue for at
least the fourth time in a year, and the Big 12 again announced the conference
would look into the matter and the home team offered an apology.
BYU athletic director Brian Santiago wants to break the cycle.
"What we're trying to do is eliminate the behavior from happening and the
apologies that come afterward," he said in an interview with The Associated
Press on Thursday.
Kevin Young, coach of the 16th-ranked Cougars men's basketball team, said after
a 99-92 loss at Oklahoma State on Wednesday night that he heard "F--- The
Mormons" chants coming out of the student section.
"It's a great win for Oklahoma State University. Their fans should be proud,"
he said. "It would be great if some class was warranted in there as well. I've
got four small kids at home. I'm a Mormon. When I go home, they're going to ask
me about it, same way as they asked me about it last year at Arizona. There's
just too much hate in the world to be saying stuff like that. We've got enough
problems in our world without going at people's religion and beliefs and
whether it's in vogue or not."
BYU is the flagship school for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
widely known as the Mormon church.
Santiago, who was not in Stillwater, Oklahoma, for the game, said he received
an apology from Oklahoma State athletic director Chad Weiberg and that he was
confident administrators across the Big 12 were taking the situation seriously.
"It's super hurtful and unacceptable for these chants to be going on, these
discriminatory chants, against our religion, against any religion," Santiago
said. "There's a human element of it that we want people to understand how
hurtful it is and how unsafe it feels for members of our faith."
Santiago said most Big 12 schools have done a good job making pregame
announcements warning fans to not direct abusive language at players, staff and
officials.
He said he appreciated Texas Tech men's basketball coach Grant McCasland coming
out with a message shown on the video boards before a football game in Lubbock
encouraging fans to support the Red Raiders and not be negative toward BYU.
Santiago said Arizona athletic director Desire Reed-Francois sent a message to
fans and students to be respectful and also notify them of a BYU-sponsored
literacy service project in Tucson that coincided with a football game against
the Cougars.
Santiago said he doesn't know why Mormons are subject to the verbal abuse.
"It's a little confusing to us why there is hate toward us when we are a church
built and founded on the savior Jesus Christ and filling the world with love
and that we're all connected and brothers and sisters and trying to lift and
help each other. Not sure exactly why, but unfortunately in the history of our
church, there has been a lot of persecution, and we're going to continue to
rise above it."
OSU President Jim Hess said in a statement that any behavior that targets or
demeans others has no place at his school.
"The Cowboy Code calls us to treat others with respect and dignity, and we are
reviewing what occurred and will address any violations of our standards of
conduct appropriately," Hess said. "Oklahoma State University values the
relationship we have with BYU and deeply respects their community and their
faith. I have reached out to BYU leadership directly to express our commitment
to upholding the standards we expect from our community. We will continue to
work with our students and fans to ensure that the atmosphere at our events
reflects the values of the Cowboy family."
Last February, Arizona apologized after the school said some fans participated
in an "unacceptable chant" following the basketball team's 96-95 loss to BYU in
Tucson. According to online video, fans could be heard yelling a profane phrase
directed at Mormons as the teams were leaving the court.
In September, Colorado apologized and was fined $50,000 by the Big 12 after
football fans directed expletives and religious slurs at Mormons during a 24-21
loss to the Cougars in Boulder. In November, Cincinnati apologized for football
fans' anti-Mormon chants during a 26-14 loss to BYU in Ohio.
In a statement Thursday, Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said the conference
is investigating what happened in Stillwater.
"All parties have been notified," he said. "The Conference has zero tolerance
for behavior of this nature and will address the matter in accordance with Big
12 sportsmanship policies."
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