The Big 12 Conference on Tuesday, Sept. 30 announced a public reprimand and $50,000 fine for Colorado after fans in the stands at last week’s football game against Brigham Young University made profane anti-Mormon chants, including “(expletive) the Mormons.”
BYU won the game, 24-21. Afterward, Colorado coach Deion Sanders said he wasn’t aware of any chants, but he brought it up Tuesday at his news conference in Boulder and blamed “intoxicated” kids. He apologized to BYU on behalf of Colorado. Colorado officials also issued a statement late Sunday condemning the chants.
‘Hateful and discriminatory language has no home in the Big 12 Conference,” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said in a statement. “While we appreciate Colorado apologizing for the chants that occurred in the stands during Saturday’s game, the Big 12 maintains zero tolerance for such behavior. Colorado will receive a $50,000 fine in accordance with our Conference policies.’
The chants also drew the attention of Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee, a BYU graduate, who described it on social media as “hours upon hours of religious slurs and bigotry.”
BYU and Colorado are now both members of the Big 12, but BYU hadn’t played a game in Boulder since 1981.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
