Colorado Fined $50K for Anti-Mormon Chants at BYU Game

The University of Colorado is facing a $50,000 penalty after fans unleashed anti-Mormon chants and expletives at Brigham Young University's football team over the weekend, NBC News reports. The incident unfolded during Saturday's game in Boulder, where BYU edged out Colorado 24-21.

The Big 12 Conference didn't mince words, with Commissioner Brett Yormark emphasizing a "zero tolerance" policy for hateful or discriminatory language. Both the conference and university leadership swiftly denounced the behavior, with Colorado Boulder's chancellor and athletic director calling the outbursts "deeply disappointing" and at odds with the school's values of "respect, inclusion, and integrity."

Colorado's high-profile head coach, Deion Sanders, also weighed in. He apologized on behalf of the university and described the fans' conduct as uncharacteristic, chalking it up to "young kids" at the game who were likely "intoxicated and high simultaneously," he said, per USA Today. "BYU, we love you, we appreciate you, and we support you," he added.

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Brigham Young University, based in Utah, is closely tied to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Such incidents are not new: BYU's teams have faced similar chants at other schools, including Oregon, USC, and Arizona, in recent years. Each has led to institutional apologies.