By Matt AudiletShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe BYU Cougars took down Cincinnati in the Bearcats' home stadium on Saturday night, improving their season record to 10-1 with a 26-14 final score.
During the primetime matchup at Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati fans broke out in an "[expletive] the Mormons!" chant. The chant was captured on video and went viral on social media.
On Monday, Cincinnati athletic director John Cunningham issued a public apology to BYU and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"The use of offensive or religiously derogatory language by a group of fans during Saturday's game was unacceptable and does not reflect our values," Cunningham wrote in a statement. "We remain committed to creating an environment at Nippert Stadium where every visiting team and its supporters are treated with dignity and respect."
Loading twitter content...
More Football: Dak Prescott, Cowboys Suffer Brutal Setback Before Chiefs Game
This chant from Cincinnati fans came just hours after the church donated 27,000 pounds of food to the University of Cincinnati's on-campus food pantry, which supports students facing food insecurity.
Though the Big 12 has yet to announce any punishment for the Cincinnati program, a significant fine is likely on the way.
Earlier this year, the conference fined the Colorado Buffaloes $50,000 after fans delivered the exact same chant when playing against BYU at Folsom Field.
This punishment came despite a public apology from head coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado program.
"Hateful and discriminatory language has no home in the Big 12 Conference," commissioner Brett Yormark said in a statement at the time. "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."
...More Football: Oklahoma’s Preparation for LSU Disrupted by NCAA Suspension News
BYU is in contention to make the 12-team College Football Playoff field, suffering its only loss of the year in a matchup against Texas Tech on Nov. 8. The No. 11 Cougars will close out their regular-season schedule with a matchup against the UCF Knights this coming Saturday.
Cincinnati is on a three-game losing skid after starting the year with an impressive 7-1 record.
Request Reprint & LicensingSubmit CorrectionView Editorial & AI Guidelines
Add Newsweek as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Recommended For You
NCAALane Kiffin Warning Issued by College Football Insider3 min read
NCAAStarting QB Suspended by College Football Program After Spitting on Opponent3 min read
NCAAFormer Baylor Coach Art Briles Hired by New Program2 min read
NCAASurprise New Favorite Emerges for Arkansas Head-Coaching Job3 min read
NCAAOregon Coach a ‘Prime’ Candidate for Newly Opened College Football Job2 min read
NCAAOhio State, Ryan Day Suffer Major Recruiting Loss Before Michigan Game2 min readRelated Podcasts
Top Stories
WorldRussia-Ukraine Live Updates: Zelensky Thanks 13 Leaders After Trump Remark2 min read
NewsUncommon Knowledge: Trump May Be Winning the Global Climate Change Debate6 min read
NewsTrump Admin Reacts After James Comey, Letitia James Cases Dismissed3 min read
PoliticsDOGE is Dead: What Did It Actually Save?4 min read
PoliticsMarjorie Taylor Greene’s Pension Details Explained as Critics Pounce6 min read
NewsTrump to Consider Designating Muslim Brotherhood as Terrorist Organization2 min readTrending
National Weather ServiceWinter Storm Alert Issued as 12 Inches of Snow Set To Hit3 min read
Higher EducationFull List of Degrees Not Classed As ‘Professional’ by Trump Admin8 min read
WeatherWinter Weather Alerts in 4 States As 18 Inches of Snow To Hit3 min read
WeatherMaps Show Snow Risk for Each State Over Thanksgiving 2025 Holidays3 min read
NFLNBC Celebrates Major Cris Collinsworth News Ahead of ‘Sunday Night Football’2 min readOpinion
OpinionFour Ways to Fight Trump’s Golden Age of Corruption | Opinion5 min read
OpinionThe Post-Shutdown Mandate—It’s Time for California to Lead | Opinion5 min read
OpinionDon’t Let Monopoly Utilities Kill Clean Consumer Choices | Opinion4 min read
Opinion‘AI Plus’ Is China’s Master Plan to Build an AI-Native Society by 2035 | Opinion5 min read
OpinionConventional Wisdom: The Trump and Mamdani Edition2 min read
