Utah AD Proposes Game Penalties to Curb Anti-Mormon Chants at BYU

Key points

• Anti-Latter-day Saint chants, specifically 'F-the-Mormons,' have become a recurring issue at BYU football and basketball away games over the past few years.
• Former Utah athletic director Chris Hill proposes that officials assess automatic 15- or 30-yard penalties against teams whose fans engage in these chants during football games.
• For basketball, Hill suggests assessing technical fouls, noting that games often come down to single-point margins where such penalties could be decisive.
• Hill argues that the threat of competitive disadvantage would motivate coaches to intervene, potentially using microphones to reprimand their own fans, similar to responses to objects thrown onto the field.
• The Big 12 conference has recently announced a 'Respect the Game' campaign aimed at encouraging sportsmanship, though its effectiveness remains unproven.
• Current responses, including post-game apologies and small fines, have failed to produce lasting behavioral change among student sections.

Background

This issue follows a pattern of escalating tension in college athletics regarding religious expression and fan behavior. Previous coverage in our archive does not address this specific topic, as it focuses on unrelated gaming industry news. However, the broader context of increasing scrutiny on sportsmanship and institutional responsibility in collegiate sports provides a backdrop for these proposed punitive measures.

How outlets are covering it

The Salt Lake Tribune frames the issue as a failure of current sportsmanship campaigns, emphasizing the need for tangible consequences to deter behavior. It highlights Chris Hill's proposal as a practical, 'teethy' solution that leverages competitive stakes. In contrast, Southwest Ledger shifts the focus from the athletes to the fans, arguing that the chants harm fellow Latter-day Saint students attending the same schools. While the Tribune focuses on institutional and competitive responses, the Ledger emphasizes the moral and community impact on local church members who support their teams. Both sources agree that the behavior is unacceptable but differ on the primary mechanism for resolution: competitive penalties versus moral education and community awareness.

Why it matters

The proposal introduces a new dimension to handling hate speech in sports by linking it directly to game outcomes. If adopted, it could set a precedent for how leagues address religious discrimination, moving beyond symbolic gestures to enforceable rules. It also highlights the tension between fan passion and inclusive conduct, potentially influencing how other conferences handle similar issues in the future.

What to watch

It remains to be seen whether the Big 12 or individual universities will adopt Hill's proposal. The effectiveness of the 'Respect the Game' campaign will be evaluated in the coming season. Coaches may begin to address the issue more directly if they perceive a risk to their team's performance. Further incidents at BYU away games will likely test the resolve of conference officials to implement stricter measures.