The Big 12 Conference has fined the University of Central Florida (UCF) $100,000 in response to profane anti-Mormon chants by its fans during the Knights' upset victory over Brigham Young University (BYU) on Saturday. The conference condemned the "discriminatory behavior" and announced the fine will be directed toward student education initiatives.
UCF officials ejected some students from the stadium during the game, but the conference took further action, stating, "While the Conference recognizes the pregame protocols followed by UCF and immediate actions taken during the game, including removal of some individuals responsible for the conduct, discriminatory behavior has no place in the Big 12."
The conference also implemented an updated, conference-wide policy establishing escalating consequences for discriminatory conduct at athletic events. For first-time offenses, the policy includes an automatic $100,000 fine and a formal warning. Subsequent incidents will incur further penalties, such as a competitive penalty, like a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty in football or an unsportsmanlike two-shot technical foul in basketball. Individuals ejected for similar conduct will be prohibited from attending all athletic events for the remainder of the academic year and are subject to applicable university fan/student conduct policies.
Chants of "f*** the Mormons," referencing BYU's religious affiliation, were audible throughout the game. The public address announcer at UCF's stadium, the Addition Financial Arena, repeatedly warned the crowd against "derogatory or vulgar chants," and several groups of students were escorted out by security.
The chants marred an otherwise thrilling contest, where UCF defeated the then-second-ranked BYU Cougars 39-31 in double overtime. Keyone Jenkins secured the victory for UCF with a touchdown pass in the second overtime. The loss ended BYU's unbeaten streak and marked their highest-ranked opponent defeated in school history.