This past weekend, the University of Central Florida football team defeated then-No. 3 UCF to win its first game ever against an AP top-five opponent. At the Acrisure Bounce House in Orlando, BYU plays UCF.
While UCF made program history with its performance on the field, the acts of some of its followers were unforgettable for a completely other cause.
The Big 12 penalized UCF $100,000 on Wednesday after a group of F the Mormons chants during the Knights’ 39-31 double-overtime triumph.
The Mormon church is commonly known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and BYU serves as its premier school.
In a statement, the Big 12 Conference announced that it has finished reviewing the biased remarks aimed against BYU during Saturday’s football match at UCF.
Although the Conference acknowledges the pregame customs used by UCF and the quick action done during the game, including the removal of some people responsible for the behavior, discriminatory behavior is not tolerated in the Big 12.
According to the Big 12, the six-figure penalty will be used to fund student education programs. Additionally, the announcement at the conference of a revised policy establishing progressive punishments for discriminatory behavior at athletic events.
The conference described those progressively severe penalties as follows:
A confirmed first game incident would result in an automatic minimum fine of $100,000.
The institution will have the opportunity to quickly handle the behavior and stop additional events thanks to a formal warning that will be issued after the first incident.
A second confirmed event during the same game will incur an in-game competitive penalty, such as a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty in football or an unsportsmanlike two-shot technical foul in basketball, and may result in an additional $500,000 fine.
Individuals who are ejected for discriminatory behavior are banned from attending all athletic activities for the rest of the school year and are subject to the relevant University fan/student conduct regulations.
F the Mormons shouts have occurred during a Big 12 game before. It’s worth noting that the anti-LDS chants were heard during a BYU victory in Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium on November 22 of last season. Following the LDS Church’s donation of 27,000 pounds of food to a campus pantry that aids financially struggling Cincinnati students, staff, and faculty, this event took place.
John Cunningham, the athletic director at Cincinnati, apologized to BYU and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the following week.
Colorado received a $50,000 fine for comparable defamatory chants in the aftermath of its September 27 loss to BYU earlier in the 2025 campaign.
Deion Sanders, the head coach, expressed regret to BYU on behalf of the supporters who made the foul comments.
Via KVUE News, Sanders stated then that “that’s not indicative of who we are. ” Don’t judge us solely on a group of young children who were probably under the influence of drugs and alcohol; our student body is exceptional.
Perhaps I should have also held my tongue, but the truth will set you free. But we love, appreciate, and support you, BYU. May God bless you.
Additionally, BYU basketball has been the object of derogatory chants.
Kevin Young, the head coach of the BYU men’s basketball team, expressed his displeasure with the conduct following an incident at Oklahoma State on Feb. 4 of the previous season.
I have four little children at home. I’m a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Young said after the game that his children willé—® me about it when I get home. They asked me about it at Arizona last year in the same manner. Saying things like that is just too much hate in the world. We have enough issues in our society without attacking people’s faith and ideas, regardless of whether it’s trendy or not.
