Oklahoma State received a $50,000 fine for the anti-Latter-day Saint chants directed at BYU’s basketball team last week.
During BYU’s 99-92 loss to OSU, the student section was heard chanting “F--- the Mormons.” BYU is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“The Big 12 Conference will not tolerate any behavior that targets or demeans others,” the conference wrote in a prepared statement.
This is the second time Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark issued a fine for anti-LDS chants. He did the same to Colorado last November when its student section yelled the refrain at a football game.
BYU head coach Kevin Young spoke out against the chants, which have been more frequent in recent years.
“I’ve got four small kids at home. I am a Mormon. When I go home, they are going to ask me about it,” Young said. “Same way they asked me about it at Arizona. There is too much hate in the world to be saying stuff like that.”
Yormark said he was looking into a more uniform policy to discipline the chants. But the Big 12 has stuck with the fine system for now.
“We have zero tolerance for it, and it starts with me, both on a personal and professional level,” Yormark said. ”We are going to come together as 16 institutions following this football season and figure out how we can get better. It’s about changing behavior, and we will do that.”
Oklahoma State apologized for the chants.
“The reference to religion did not meet our standards and exceptions. Oklahoma State respects the Big 12’s decision and will not appeal the fine,” the athletic department wrote in a statement.