Brett Yormark discussed the league’s next steps ahead of the conference’s title game.
(Tony Gutierrez | AP) Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark walks on the field in the first half of the Big 12 Conference championship in 2023.
Arlington, Texas • BYU has been the subject of several anti-Latter-day Saint chants at Big 12 venues this year.
At Arizona, Colorado and Cincinnati, the student section chanted “F— the Mormons” when BYU came to town.
When the chant broke out in Boulder, the Big 12 fined the University of Colorado $50,000 and the school increased security.
But at Cincinnati a month later, there were no public repercussions.
So will Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark institute a league policy to root out the chants?
“We have zero tolerance for it, and it starts with me, both on a personal and professional level,” Yormark said. ”We are going to come together as 16 institutions following this football season and figure out how we can get better. It’s about changing behavior, and we will do that.”
Yormark said the existing policy the league uses to legislate the chants is the sportsmanship code.
That policy outlines the “commitment of the institutions towards respect for the opposition and those officiating contests.”
Yormark acknowledged the league may need further rules to address the anti-LDS chants.
He said the conference is discussing the issue with BYU President Shane Reese and Athletics Director Brian Santiago.
“Zero tolerance, and the folks at BYU are very much aware of that,” he said. “I spent a lot of time with Shane and Brian. BYU has been a fantastic addition to this conference, and they have created enormous value for the Big 12. And there is zero tolerance for any chants like that. I want to make that crystal clear. And we do have a sportsmanship policy, and our schools must abide by it.”
BYU is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Read more: The Salt Lake Tribune looked into why the chant occurs so often, with several religious scholars weighing in.
Former Utah star Britain Covey also spoke to The Tribune about his experience with the chant.
