Oklahoma State president Jim Hess responded to “the conduct of some individuals” after alleged “F the Mormons” chants rang out during a 99-92 home win over BYU on Wednesday night in Stillwater.
“Any behavior that targets or demeans others has no place at Oklahoma State University and does not reflect who we are as Cowboys,” Hess said.
Hess’ words come shortly after Brett Yormark and the Big 12 released their own statement on Thursday morning, as the conference intends to investigate the situation.
BYU coach Kevin Young ended his postgame presser with a message on the chants, which have been a recurring issue for the school, which is the flagship university for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also referred to as the Mormon Church. BYU officially joined the Big 12 on July 1, 2023.
The Big 12 is more than capable of implementing fines or other penalties for such fan behavior, and it’s not the first time a member school has issued a formal apology for such religiously-charged chants either. Cincinnati AD John Cunningham apologized to BYU and its community after one such chant broke out during their November football game against the Cougars.
After Wednesday’s incident, it appears Yormark and the Big 12 are starting to crack a whip on the matter. What sort of action, though, whether fines or penalties, remains to be seen.
Wednesday marked a third consecutive loss for the Cougars and their second on the road. No. 16 BYU hosts No. 8 Houston on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN.
