Arizona Apologizes to BYU for Fans’ ‘Unacceptable Chant’ After College Basketball Loss
After the Wildcats men’s basketball team lost to the Cougars on Saturday, a segment of the team’s supporters directed an “unacceptable chant” at Brigham Young University (BYU). The University of Arizona subsequently issued an apology.
After the 96-95 defeat, videos circulating on social media seem to depict Arizona fans chanting “F**k the Mormons.
Arizona’s athletic director, Desireé Reed-Francois, stated, “Following tonight’s men’s basketball game, it was brought to our attention that an unacceptable chant occurred.”
“We extend our apologies to BYU, its student-athletes, coaches, and fans on behalf of the University of Arizona Athletic Department. The chant does not represent our identity and should not have occurred.
BYU stated that the recent actions of rival fans “crossed a line” and emphasized that not all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reside in Utah.
“We hope that more individuals can recognize that belittling someone’s faith goes beyond that boundary. Over the past few years, there have been several well-publicized chants during our away games, but we encounter these kinds of things frequently across different teams and venues,”
“We recognize that having to hear some bad words is a minor factor when viewed against the broader array of issues in our country or even in college athletics at this moment. However, we also believe that words truly hold significance and that as a society, we should scrutinize all possible avenues for eradicating prejudice and hate.
“Although we can’t control the level of negativity we encounter at a road game, we can control how much positivity we aim to spread.”
The second president of the Mormon church, Brigham Young, established BYU in 1875. The university receives backing from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and almost all of its students are Mormon.
After a contentious foul call played a pivotal role in determining the outcome, tensions escalated at No. 19 Arizona’s McKale Memorial Center as BYU secured a surprising road victory.
With under four seconds left on the clock and a one-point deficit, BYU received two free throws after Wildcats forward Trey Townsend was deemed to have fouled Richie Saunders, much to the displeasure of the boisterous home crowd.
Saunders converted both attempts, putting the Cougars ahead by one point. With only 3.2 seconds left, BYU successfully repelled Arizona’s final effort, securing a notable win.
Saunders scored 23 points to guide BYU, helping the Cougars secure their fourth consecutive win and second straight victory against a ranked team following Tuesday’s 91-57 triumph over No. 23 Kansas.
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