Arizona Student Section Issues Apology For Derogatory Chant After BYU Game

The Arizona Wildcats Student Section, ZonaZoo, has apologized to BYU and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the derogatory chant following Saturday’s basketball game.

After BYU’s 96-95 win over Arizona in the McKale Center in Tucson, members of the ZonaZoo began chanting, “(Expletive) the Mormons!”

Arizona’s athletic director, Desiree Reed-Francois, apologized after the “unacceptable chant occurred.”

The ZonaZoo apology went into greater detail and noted that they had addressed the issue internally to prevent future incidents similar to what happened on Saturday night.

A statement from our Leadership Team in regards to Saturday’s Men’s Basketball game: pic.twitter.com/sO2VsDlBtD

— ZonaZoo 🐻⬇️ (@ZonaZooOfficial) February 24, 2025

Arizona Student Section, ZonaZoo, apologizes for the derogatory chant after BYU game

“The actions by students after Arizona v BYU were unacceptable & are not reflective of the 14,000 ZonaZoo members or our ZonaZoo crew. We have taken steps on our end to address the situation internally to prevent future incidents like this from ever happening again.

“We want to apologize to BYU men’s basketball, members of the LDS faith, @BYURoc, & all fans for the words & actions after the game. As a student section, while our job is to make McKale a tough place to play, our mission is to Bear Down with pride & provide a welcoming environment to all.

“As a university organization, we are committed to the university’s core values, including integrity, compassion, inclusion, and adaption. We recognize and acknowledge that members of our Wildcat family, including some our student-athletes, are members of the LDS faith. Fostering a positive environment where all students feel accepted and welcome is a top goal of the university and the ZonaZoo leadership.

“In the future we encourage all students to think about their intent and impact with all words and actions and to Bear Down with pride.”

Arizona’s first home game since the offensive chant will be Wednesday night against the Utah Utes in McKale Center.

BYU will face Arizona State in Tempe on Wednesday.

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.

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