Brigham Young University–based in Provo, UT– is the official college for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The school’s sports teams have had great success over the years, including in 2025-26 with the football and men’s basketball programs. In fact, both teams rated in the top 25 throughout their seasons.
Yet, over and over again–four times just in the past year–home student sections from opposing teams have chanted obscene slogans against “the Mormons” in competitive games. (I don’t have to fill in the curse word they use in front of “the Mormons.” You get it.) When BYU is favored, it seems the more riled up opposing fans can be.
This has been an issue for several decades. The latest incident took place on Wednesday night, February 4, 2026, at Oklahoma State whose basketball team upset the Cougars in a close 99-92 contest. What should have been a classic victory enjoyed by the Cowboys was marred by the constant obscene chants screamed by some in the student section–creativity is apparently not their best attribute. Shame on them.
Second-year coach Kevin Young said afterward, “It’s a great win for Oklahoma State University. Their fans should be proud. It would be great if some class was warranted in there as well. I’ve got four small kids at home. I’m a Mormon. When I go home, they’re going to ask me about it, same way as they asked me about it last year at Arizona.”
Mormons are people. Hatred should have no place in anyone’s conduct, especially at sporting events that are meant to be a diversion from real life. Unfortunately, we live in a society that devalues the worth of individuals who are considered different. Do these fans chant similar put-down slogans at pee-wee games or at the Special Olympics?
As Young put it, “There’s just too much hate in the world to be saying stuff like that. We’ve got enough problems in our world without going at people’s religion and beliefs and whether it’s in vogue or not.”
In other words, it’s time to grow up, kids. . . and I’m speaking to adults too. Whether you call yourself a Christian, atheist, Buddhist, or other, such conduct is not humane. It’s sick. Those who think this chant is appropriate are hatemongers and the truth is not in them.
We at Mormonism Research Ministry decry the derogatory chants and hateful slogans that the BYU players, coaches and fans have had to endure, this season and in seasons past. This is sin. While we certainly don’t agree with the theology of Mormonism, we should never resort to name-calling or vitriol that cannot be pleasing to God, whether it’s during a game or doing evangelism in places where LDS are predominant.
Speaking of which, I’ve done plenty of evangelism outside sporting events at BYU and I never want to appear as hateful toward these precious individuals. I actually enjoy joking around with the Cougar fans as they make their way to the stadium, even when they don’t take what I am offering.
We can’t monitor the behavior of everyone else, but Christians, please respect the Mormons. Unless we do, we are not loving our neighbor as we love ourselves.
Stop the hatred now.