The Big 12 is announcing a new conference-wide sportsmanship campaign Friday. It’s part of the league’s response to derogatory chants targeting BYU and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that occurred at multiple league football and basketball games over the past year.
The Big 12’s “Respect the Game” campaign, which evolved out of offseason discussions and the league’s new sportsmanship committee, includes a 30-second commercial to be played during Big 12 sporting events, as well as other educational and storytelling videos aimed at fostering more inclusive environments. The campaign’s focus is broader than the incidents directed at BYU, but those represent the highest-profile sportsmanship issues the conference has dealt with.
Since the start of last football season, there have been documented incidents of opposing fans chanting “F— the Mormons” or other iterations at Arizona, Colorado, Cincinnati and Oklahoma State, resulting in public reprimands by the conference office and fines of $50,000 for Colorado and Oklahoma State. BYU officially joined the Big 12 in 2023.
University of Colorado chancellor Justin Schwartz, who serves as chair of the Big 12 Sportsmanship Committee, described the incidents as “unfortunate, embarrassing, disappointing.”
“It’s heartbreaking that these things keep happening,” Schwartz told The Athletic. “We decided that we should be proactive in asserting the value of sportsmanship to the Big 12 as part of our identity.”
Brigham Young University is a private school in Provo, Utah, that is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church “discourages” using the term “Mormon” unless it’s used in the context of the Book of Mormon, a text used by the church and where the term originated.
In a statement to The Athletic earlier this year, a spokesperson from the Church said: “While not representative of the broader community, we expect better from those who do engage in these derogatory chants at various sporting events. Such chants are offensive, discriminatory, and unacceptable. We commend the Big 12 Conference’s commitment to a unifying remedy.”
The Big 12, which includes a mix of public and private universities, has a zero-tolerance policy for discriminatory behavior, but the repeated issues sparked increased scrutiny and calls for action. In addition to the fines and reprimands, the league office encouraged member schools to combat the chants with pre- and in-game video messages from coaches and athletes promoting sportsmanship, as well as running interference when needed: Play music to drown out any chants, issue active warnings and remove offending fans from the venue.
Baylor president Linda Livingstone, who is on the Big 12 Sportsmanship Committee along with Schwartz and UCF president Alexander Cartwright, told The Athletic the “Respect the Game” campaign developed as a broader discussion on fines and other punishments. Schwartz noted that campus student groups reaching out and asking for an educational aspect resonated with the committee.
“Creating environments rooted in respect and belonging is a priority we take seriously at the Big 12,” conference commissioner Brett Yormark said in a statement. “Through this campaign, we’re celebrating the people, programs and traditions that represent the very best of our league.”
The campaign will highlight programs such as Kansas basketball’s Jayhawk Guest Services, which provides personalized hospitality experiences, including to visiting fans; and BYU Cougs Care, through which BYU alumni and fans support local charities for road games in opposing cities. Ahead of BYU football’s road win last November at Cincinnati, the church donated 27,000 pounds of food to the school food pantry for the holiday season, which BYU fans helped unload and stock.
“Educate them about how to treat other people that might have different values and beliefs than they do, help them know how to win well and how to lose well,” said Livingstone, “while also educating that this unsportsmanlike behavior is not acceptable.”
Chants directed at BYU are not new, and they extend beyond the Big 12. Previous incidents occurred at football games at USC in 2021 and Oregon in 2022, when the Cougars were an FBS football independent, and another incident just last month during a BYU nonconference game at Colorado State, a member of the Pac-12. Colorado State issued an apology before the game even ended.
Fines and reprimands will continue as part of the Big 12 response if and when necessary, along with ongoing discussions on additional punishments. Critics have argued for larger fines and in-game penalties or technical fouls. But the Big 12 is hoping this increased awareness and education will prevent future incidents.
“We do have processes for punitive outcomes if those become necessary,” said Livingstone. “But if we do the education well and we take that seriously, there will be far fewer times we have to use the more punitive approaches.”
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.