U of Oregon posts apologies after fans chant anti-Mormon messages at football game against BYU

BYU Football posted this photo on its Twitter account on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2022, with the caption "Loyal, strong, and true."

EUGENE, Ore., Sept. 18, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — The University of Oregon has tweeted an apology after some people at the game shouted offensive chants during a Saturday football game against Brigham Young University.

Young people present to cheer on the Oregon Ducks were captured on video repeating “F-ck the Mormons.” Brigham Young University is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also identified historically as the Mormons, a name that has fallen out of favor with LDS officials.

“The University of Oregon sincerely apologizes for an offensive and disgraceful chant coming from the student section during yesterday’s game against Brigham Young University,” the U of O statement says.

“These types of actions go against everything the university stands for, and it goes against the spirit of competition. We can and will do better as a campus community that has no place for hate, bias or bigotry.”

A video shared by the sporting site Outkick features the video of students chanting “F–k the Mormons,” followed by five claps, then a repeat of the message.

The video’s original poster, who tagged multiple media outlets, said the chant happened multiple times, adding “When the chant was pointed out to stadium employees, they claimed they didn’t hear it, despite standing right there. #BYUvsORE apparently @pac12 and @uoregon is okay with this type of religious discrimination.”

Another Twitter user who shared the video also shared a comment:

“Oregon fans chanted ‘F–k the Mormons’ against BYU, and the media is completely ignoring it. When a Duke volleyball player spread a racial hoax against BYU, the media acted like it was a war crime and never apologized. Disgraceful double standard.”

The later comment refers to accusations from Duke Volleyball officials saying one or more Utah fans shouted racial slurs against Black players. BYU later claimed that after an investigation it could not verify the incident happened.

Governor reacts

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox tweeted about the incident, saying “religious bigotry alive and celebrated in Oregon.”

Cox later liked and retweeted an apology from the Oregon Pit Crew, the account of the @uoregon student section. The two part tweet says:

“The University of Oregon sincerely apologizes for an offensive and disgraceful chant coming from the student section during yesterday’s game against Brigham Young University.

“These types of actions go against everything the university stands for, and it goes against the spirit of competition. We can and will do better as a campus community that has no place for hate, bias or bigotry.”

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