University of Colorado officials made a public apology to Brigham Young University after the Buffaloes’ student section chanted disparaging comments toward the Mormon faith.
According to The Salt Lake Tribune, fans in the student section could be heard chanting “F--- the Mormons” throughout the game that ended in a BYU victory. These chants are nothing new to the BYU team, which faced similar taunts from Arizona State and Providence College last year.
In a statement, University of Colorado athletic director Rick George and Chancellor Justin Schwartz said, “The University of Colorado Boulder strongly condemns the use of expletives and religious slurs by individuals in the stands during the recent football game against BYU. Such behavior is deeply disappointing and does not reflect the values of respect, inclusion and integrity we expect of our campus community. Attending sporting events at CU Boulder is a privilege, and with that comes the responsibility to uphold our Fan Code of Conduct. The university and CU Athletics have a strict policy when it comes to abusive behavior, and those found to have engaged in conduct that is not consistent with our values are held accountable.”
The CU Fan Code of Conduct stipulates that guests may not use foul or discriminatory language. It also warns that ejection and loss of future tickets are possible if fans are found to violate those rules.
The Salt Lake Tribune recently published a study regarding the rise in anti-religious chants toward BYU that cited several factors, from the popularity of the “Book of Mormon” musical to the political strength of certain church members. Eliza Rosenburg speculated that if there was “another major Division I program that took its faith as seriously as BYU, it too would be the subject of chants.”
While some who took part in that study theorized that the church should take a different approach to the repeated, disrespectful chants, BYU has accepted the Buffaloes’ apology.
