THE Big 12 Conference has handed out a punishment to the Colorado Buffaloes.
Deion Sanders‘ school was publicly reprimanded and handed a $50,000 fine for a derogatory chant towards BYU students.
Deion Sanders was forced to apologize for his fans’ behavior on Saturday[/caption]
Colorado fans hurled derogatory statements towards the BYU football team[/caption]
“Hateful and discriminatory language has no home in the Big 12 Conference,” league commissioner Brett Yormark said in a statement.
“While we appreciate Colorado apologizing for the chants that occurred in the stands during Saturday’s game, the Big 12 maintains zero tolerance for such behavior.”
Chants of “F*** the Mormons” could be heard from the student section during BYU’s 24-21 win over Colorado in Boulder.
Sanders publicly apologized for his team’s fans in a press conference on Tuesday.
“That’s not indicative of who we are,” Sanders said.
“Our student body, our kids, are phenomenal.
“So don’t indict us just based on a group of young kids that probably was intoxicated and high simultaneously.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have said that as well, but the truth is going to make you free.
“But BYU, we love you. We appreciate you and we support you.”
Colorado chancellor Justin Schwartz and athletic director Rick George issued a joint statement condemning the chants.
They called it “deeply disappointing” and that it didn’t align with the university’s values of respect and inclusion.
The statement also made it known that those responsible for the chant would be held accountable under the fan code of conduct.
“The University of Colorado Boulder strongly condemns the use of expletives and religious slurs by individuals in the stands during the recent football game against BYU,” the statement said.
“Such behavior is deeply disappointing and does not reflect the values of respect, inclusion and integrity we expect of our campus community.
“Attending sporting events at CU Boulder is a privilege, and with that comes the responsibility to uphold our Fan Code of Conduct. The university and CU Athletics have a strict policy when it comes to abusive behavior, and those found to have engaged in conduct that is not consistent with our values are held accountable.
College football top 25 rankings
BELOW are the AP top 25 rankings of college football’s best programs.
- Ohio State (4-0)
- Oregon (5-0)
- Miami (4-0)
- Ole Miss (5-0)
- Oklahoma (4-0)
- Texas A&M (4-0)
- Penn State (3-1)
- Indiana (5-0)
- Texas (3-1)
- Alabama (3-1)
- Texas Tech (4-0)
- Georgia (3-1)
- LSU (4-1)
- Iowa State (5-0)
- Tennessee (4-1)
- Vanderbilt (5-0)
- Georgia Tech (5-0)
- Florida State (3-1)
- Missouri (5-0)
- Michigan (3-1)
- Notre Dame (2-2)
- Illinois (4-1)
- BYU (4-0)
- Virginia (4-1)
- Arizona State (4-1)
*Poll released on September 28
“CU Boulder is committed to fostering an environment where all individuals—students, staff, faculty, alumni, opposing fans and other visitors—feel welcome and safe. Discriminatory language and hostile conduct have no place at our athletic events or anywhere on our campus.
“We thank the majority of our fans who continue to support our teams with enthusiasm and respect. Together, we can ensure that CU Boulder events remain a source of pride and unity for our community and that visitors to our campus have a positive experience.”
BYU released its own statement on Monday night to condemn the Colorado chants.
“We denounce all forms of religious discrimination & appreciate @CUBoulder’s example in rooting out these inappropriate actions,” the school said on social media.
“We invite all to showcase their fandom with enthusiasm & respect.”
