After BYU beat Arizona at the McKale Center on Saturday night in Tucson, fans chanted an anti-Latter-day Saint taunt toward the Cougars.
Fans were heard screaming “F--- the Mormons” on ESPN’s television broadcast. It occurred after a skirmish broke out at half-court between the two teams.
“Following tonight’s men’s basketball game, it was brought to our attention that an unacceptable chant occurred,” Arizona Vice President and Director of Athletics Desireé Reed-Francois said in a statement. “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.”
This is the second time this season that the “F--- the Mormons” taunt has been directed at the BYU men’s basketball team. The same thing happened when BYU played at Providence in December.
Former Utah football star Britain Covey also talked to The Tribune about his thoughts on the chant, and what can be done to prevent it.
