Big 12 fines UCF $100,000 over anti-BYU chants
The penalty funds student education, and new rules now allow in-game penalties for repeat offenses during the same game.
By Joseph Brooks ·
The University of Central Florida owes the Big 12 Conference $100,000 for discriminatory fan chants directed at BYU during a football game last Saturday.
The conference issued the fine in a news release, noting that UCF staff removed some fans from the stadium after the incident. Although the official statement did not specify the lyrics, videos posted online show supporters chanting "f, the Mormons." The league stated that the money will go toward student education initiatives.
The Big 12 also announced updated rules for handling in-game penalties. A first offense now carries a minimum fine of $100,000 and a formal warning. If a second confirmed incident occurs during the same game, officials can call an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Examples include a 15-yard loss in football or a two-shot technical foul in basketball.
Teams that continue to allow discriminatory behavior face an additional $500,000 fine. Fans removed for such conduct are banned from all athletic events for the remainder of the academic year.
This follows a $50,000 fine imposed on Oklahoma State earlier this year after similar chants were heard during a men's basketball game against BYU. The conference aims to standardize these penalties across all member schools.
Source: WOFL
