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 Desireé 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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