Big 12 fines UCF $100,000 over anti-Mormon chants

The Big 12 Conference has placed a $100,000 fine on the University of Central Florida following derogatory chants aimed at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during Saturday’s football game against BYU. The league announced the penalty on Wednesday, citing fan behavior that it said had no place in its competitions.

Video clips circulated on social media showed UCF supporters chanting an expletive mixed with the word "Mormons" before kickoff. University security removed some fans from the stadium. UCF won the game in overtime. The conference stated that the fine will be directed toward student education initiatives.

Adam Widman, the athletics spokesman for UCF, said the department would review its options after learning of the decision. "After becoming aware of the conference’s decision, we will be reviewing our options," Widman said in an email sent Wednesday night.

Along with the fine, the Big 12 unveiled a conference-wide policy regarding discriminatory conduct. Under the new rules, a first confirmed incident triggers an automatic minimum $100,000 fine and a warning. If a second incident occurs during the same event, the team faces an in-game penalty. In football, this could be a 15-year unsportsmanlike penalty. In basketball, it would be a two-shot technical foul. The league may also levy a $500,000 fine for such conduct.

Fans ejected for discriminatory behavior will be banned from attending athletic events for the remainder of the school year. They are also subject to the university’s fan or student conduct policies.

This is not the first time a Big 12 school has been penalized for fan treatment of BYU. In February, Oklahoma State paid a $50,000 fine for inappropriate chants during a men’s basketball game. A year ago, Colorado paid a $50,000 fine for similar behavior at a football game. Colorado State issued an apology in September after fans targeted the church. Similar incidents occurred at Arizona and Cincinnati but did not result in fines.

BYU, currently ranked No. 8 with a 6-1 record, hosts Arizona State on Saturday. The team plays at No. 6 Utah in the Holy War rivalry game on Nov. 7.