Colorado State issued a formal apology to BYU on Saturday night after members of the student section directed derogatory chants at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during a football game at Canvas Stadium, according to ESPN.
Colorado State Apologizes Following Student Section Chants
The incident took place during the 11th-ranked BYU Cougars’ 41-23 victory over the Rams, as reported by USA Today. According to the same report, students in the stands could be heard chanting, expletive the Mormons.
In addition to the derogatory nature of the remarks, church officials note that the term “Mormons” is discouraged as an incorrect substitute for the faith’s formal name.
In a statement distributed in the press box, university officials condemned the behavior: Colorado State University apologized to BYU, its student-athletes and fans, and to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints for the chant directed at them during Saturday’s game.
The school added that mocking anyone’s faith has no place at CSU
and noted that the conduct ran counter to our community’s values and to who we are.
The university concluded its statement by affirming that BYU’s players, coaches and fans deserved better
and confirming that school administration is addressing the matter with the student body.
Cougars Coach and Players Respond to the Crowd
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake addressed the derogatory remarks during his post-game news conference, emphasizing that the actions came from a minority of individuals in the stands.
I think the chants, mostly a minority of people and fans. There’s some amazing fans here in Fort Collins, so not too worried about that,
Sitake said, according to Yahoo Sports. He added that his players were motivated purely by the competition on the field, stating, We’re not going to judge an entire fan base on a few — a few of the ones that made their chants.
Running back LJ Martin also downplayed the impact of the crowd noise, noting that the team relies on internal drive. We’re self-motivated,
Martin said. Of course, you just hear them talking. It makes it a lot funner when you do go out there and perform the way you do. It makes it a lot funner just to see them go from real loud just to real quiet.
Martin finished the contest rushing for 176 yards and three touchdowns.
A Pattern of Recent Apologies Across College Athletics
The controversy in Fort Collins represents the latest in a series of similar incidents involving opposing crowds and the Utah-based university.
Previous instances led to formal apologies from other athletic programs and conferences. Oregon issued an apology for similar chants in 2022, followed by apologies from Arizona men’s basketball, Colorado football, and Cincinnati football in 2025.
During the 2025 matchup between BYU and Colorado at Folsom Field, Colorado was assessed a $50,000 fine for expletives and religious slurs directed at members of the faith. At that time, Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark publicly condemned the fan behavior. Furthermore, Cincinnati athletic director John Cunningham issued an apology in November following a game where social media videos captured Bearcats fans repeating the same derogatory phrase heard in Fort Collins.
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