On February 22, 2025, the BYU Men’s Basketball team once again faced the now infamous “F*** the Mormons” chant. After beating the Arizona Wildcats by a close game of 96 to 95, the BYU Basketball team and their fans faced the chant as they celebrated their win and made their way out of the stadium. In a now-viral video taken after the game ended, Arizona fans can be seen clapping their hands and chanting the phrase towards the court.
A few hours after the game, the University of Arizona Vice President and Director of Athletics issued an apology for the chants made at the end of the game:
Following tonight’s men’s basketball game, it was brought to our attention that an unacceptable chant occurred. On behalf of the University of Arizona Athletic Department, we apologize to BYU, their student-athletes, coaches, and fans. The chant is not reflective of who we are and should not have happened.
On Sunday, the United Jewish Federation of Utah also shared a statement addressing the chants hurled at the BYU Basketball team:
“We express deep concern and disappointment over the derogatory chants directed at Brigham Young University and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during the recent basketball game against the University of Arizona. Such incidents of religious intolerance are unacceptable and have no place in our society. They not only harm the targeted community but also undermine the principles of respect and unity that bind us together.
In times like these, it is imperative for all communities to stand together against hate and bigotry. The Jewish community, having faced its own history of prejudice, understands the profound impact of such actions. We extend our friendship and solidarity to the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and BYU, reaffirming our commitment to fostering an environment where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect.”
This is the second time the BYU Men’s basketball team has had this phrase hurled at them this season. In a previous game at Providence, a private Catholic university, the student section chanted “F— the Mormons” during the middle of the game.
Unlike basketball, standing up for our faith is not a spectator sport. This chant is a recurring event for BYU sports teams. As much as it might make us feel good, collecting apologies from different schools does not address the issue. There need to be real penalties—not for making up a chant to heckle a school, but for using the opportunity to attack a faith.
Chanting “F— BYU” or “F— Arizona,” while vulgar, is expected in a competitive sports match. But we are not dealing with a chant merely meant to heckle an opposing team: the chant is attacking a religious faith, one that some students at BYU do not share with us. Repeatedly, we are told these chants are “not reflective” of the university student body. But these chants do tell us what they think of our faith.
BYU needs to take a stand for our faith and stand against these unacceptable chants. For too long, BYU and the Big 12 Conference have taken zero action; this inaction is an implicit acceptance of the chants that attack the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members. Whether it be in the form of fines or the forfeiting of matches, a statement must be made that stands for our faith. Prostrating ourselves and taking these chants with no reaction is no longer the noble thing to do.
Written by: Jax McKinney
Senior Contributor at the Cougar Chronicle
The Cougar Chronicle is an independent student-run newspaper and is not affiliated with Brigham Young University or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Cover photo: https://arizonasports.com/ncaa/uofa-basketball/arizona-byu-2/3574768/
