Utah Students Urge Respect Ahead of Top-10 BYU Rivalry
On November 2, Utah students and university leaders urged fans to avoid discriminatory behavior before Utah hosts BYU in Salt Lake City on November 7, as the Big 12 introduces tougher penalties.
Utah’s student section and university leaders are calling for respectful conduct ahead of Saturday’s football game against BYU in Salt Lake City. This marks the rivals’ first meeting with each team inside the top 10, with Utah at No. 3 and BYU at No. 7. The game also has Big 12 and College Football Playoff implications.
The Mighty Utah Student Section said discriminatory conduct would not be tolerated and urged fans to support their team while respecting opponents. University President Taylor Randall also called on fans to keep their support spirited but civil. First-year coach Morgan Scalley said he and BYU coach Kalani Sitake hope the rivalry can become more respectful, while remaining competitive.
The game is the first BYU road contest under the Big 12’s revised policy on discriminatory chants. A confirmed first incident brings a $100,000 fine for the school. A second can result in a 15-yard penalty in football or a basketball technical foul, and may bring a $500,000 fine. Fans ejected for such chanting are barred from events for a year.
The league adopted the stricter rules after anti-Latter-day Saint chants at games, including an incident at UCF on October 24 that led to a $100,000 fine. Several schools have apologized for similar chants in recent years. Utah fans have not been accused of chanting them, though religious tension has surfaced in the rivalry.
The game begins at 10 a.m. Mountain time at Rice-Eccles Stadium and will air on ABC.