Arizona AD Apologizes To BYU For Offensive Chant After Basketball Game
Feb 23, 2025, 1:22 AM | Updated: 2:30 am
An offensive chant towards members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints occured by Arizona Wildcats fans at the McKale Center after a game against BYU Basketball on February 22, 2025. (Courtesy of Nate Edwards/BYU Photo)
(Courtesy of Nate Edwards/BYU Photo)
For the second time this season, BYU basketball was on the receiving end of an offensive chant.
After BYU defeated No. 19 Arizona in Tucson, 96-95, a chant broke out with an expletive message toward people affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Field of 68 captured video of the offensive chant from Arizona fans inside the McKale Center. (Warning: explicit language).
Brigham Young University (BYU) is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Arizona Wildcats AD apologizes to BYU for offensive chant
After Midnight (Mountain Standard Time) on Sunday, Arizona athletics director Desiree Reed-Francois issued a statement on Arizona Athletics’ official X account addressing the chant.
Statement from Vice President and Director of Athletics, Desireé Reed-Francois:
Following tonight's men's basketball game, it was brought to our attention that an unacceptable chant occurred.
On behalf of the University of Arizona Athletic Department, we apologize to BYU,…
— Arizona Athletics (@AZATHLETICS) February 23, 2025
“Following tonight’s men’s basketball game, it was brought to our attention that an unacceptable chant occurred,” Reed-Francois wrote in a statement.
“On behalf of the University of Arizona Athletic Department, we apologize to BYU, their student-athletes, coaches and fans. The chant is not reflective of who we are and should not have happened.”
BYU basketball on the receiving end of offensive chants for the second time this season
Earlier this season, BYU experienced the same offensive chants from a visiting fan base when they traveled to Providence for a game in nonconference action.
Like Arizona, Providence’s athletics director also issued an apology.
Saturday night was BYU’s first visit to the McKale Center since 2009. This is the first season with the two programs in the Big 12 Conference together.
Emotions ran high in the game, which came down to the final seconds of action. The referees called a foul on Arizona’s Trey Townsend with three seconds remaining, which sent BYU junior Richie Saunders to the foul line, with Arizona leading by one.
Saunders knocked down the two free throws, giving BYU the upset win in Tucson.
BYU hosted Arizona at the Marriott Center earlier this month in Provo. The Wildcats won that meeting 85-74 on February 4.
There are no more scheduled meetings this season between BYU and the Arizona Wildcats.
BYU football was on the receiving end of similar chants at USC in 2021 and Oregon in 2022. Both institutions issued apologies the following day after the chants.
BYU basketball is staying in the state of Arizona until their next game on Wednesday, February 26 at Arizona State in Tempe.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
