Brett Yormark didn’t pull any punches when asked about the ugly anti-BYU chants that have been popping up at Big 12 games. This time, the commissioner made it clear that the conference is fed up with it, and something real is finally being done about it.
“We have zero tolerance for it, and it starts with me, both on a personal and professional level,” Yormark said ahead of the Big 12 Championship Game. “The folks at BYU are very much aware of that. I’ve spent a lot of time with Shane Reese and Brian Santiago. BYU has been a fantastic addition to this conference, and they have created enormous value for the Big 12.”
The league already fined Colorado earlier this season after their fans launched a chant mocking BYU’s religion. And while that fine was a start, Yormark says it’s not enough. He said all 16 Big 12 schools will come together after the football season to figure out how to move forward with a more unified approach.
“It’s about changing behavior,” Yormark said. “And we will do that.”
Honestly, that’s the first time it’s felt like someone in charge actually meant it. The Big 12 isn’t pretending this is just passion gone too far or harmless student section noise. They’re calling it what it is and putting the pressure on schools and fanbases to fix it.
BYU’s not new to this. They’ve heard this stuff for years, in all kinds of venues, and it’s been ignored more often than not. But now they’ve got a seat at the table in a major conference, and finally, it sounds like the league they joined is ready to defend its own.
This isn’t about being soft. It’s about respecting your own members. If the Big 12 wants to call itself a true national league, it can’t let stuff like this slide. And for once, it looks like that message is finally getting through.
