The Big 12 Conference has issued a $100,000 penalty against UCF following discriminatory chants directed at BYU during an Orlando football game. This disciplinary action coincides with the launch of a new conference-wide policy designed to punish offensive behavior with increasing severity.
A $100,000 fine and the new Big 12 penalty ladder
The Big 12 Conference has imposed a $100,000 fine on the University of Central Florida (UCF) following discriminatory chants directed at BYU players during a football game in Orlando. according to the report, this fine is part of a newly implemented conference-wide policy that establishes escalating consequences for offensive conduct at athletic events.
The new Big 12 policy mandates a minimum $100,000 fine for a university's first confirmed incident of discriminatory behavior. If a second incident occurs during the same game, the conference can impose an additional $500,000 fine and in-game competitive penalties, such as a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in football or a two-shot technical foul in basketball. Furthermore, fans or students ejected for such conduct are prohibited from attending athletic events for the remainder of the academic year.
UCF's fine will be directed toward student education initiatives, a move the Big 12 says acknowledges that the university followed pregame protocols and took immediate action to remove responsible individuals. However, the conference maintained that further consequences were necessary because discriminatory behavior has no place in the Big 12.
From Colorado to Cincinnati: A pattern of targeting BYU
The incident at UCF is part of a broader trend of derogatory chants targeting BYU and its affiliation with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As the report notes, several other institutions, including Colorado, Colorado State, Cincinnati, Oregon, and USC, have previously issued apologies or condemned similar behavior directed at the visiting Cougars.
The frequency of these incidents has prompted a significant escalation in how the Big 12 addresses discriminatory behavior. While individual universities like Providence College have also apologized for offensive chants in the past, the conference's new policy aims to create a standardized, high-stakes deterrent across all member institutions.
The Hicken family and the human cost of derogatory chants
The emotional weight of these chants was highlighted by the experience of Jared and Brandi Hicken,who attended a BYU game at Cincinnati in November 2025. The Hickens had recently survived a deadly shooting at their Latter-day Saint meetinghouse in Grand Blanc, Michigan , which claimed the lives of four congregation members and injured their five-year-old daughter.
Brandi Hicken expressed that the derogatory chants at the Cincinnati game resurfaced the trauma and fear stemming from the Michigan attack. She has urged university officials to move beyond simple warnings and implement stricter punishments, such as the permanent removal of students who participate in such conduct.
Will in-game penalties and $500,000 fines stop future incidents?
While the Big 12 has introduced these strict measures, several questions remain regarding the enforcement of the new rules. It is currently unclear how the conference will verify "confirmed" incidents in real-time or how universities will manage the responsibility of policing student sections to avoid the $500,000 penalty tier.
Additionally , the report does not specify how the conference will handle the potential conflict between student free speech and these new disciplinary mandates. It remains to be seen if the threat of competitive penalties, like 15-yard football infractions, will be enough to change fan culture in the Big 12.
Comments 0