Colorado State issued a formal apology after students chanted vulgar religious slurs targeting BYU and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during a football game on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, marking the latest in a recurring string of similar opposing-fan incidents.
Canvas Stadium Chants Draw Swift Condemnation and Apology
Colorado State University released an official statement during its Saturday evening matchup against Brigham Young University, addressing offensive audio originating from the student section at Canvas Stadium.
Videos capturing the incident circulated widely across social media platforms during the game. In response to the backlash, university administrators distributed an apology to members of the media in the press box before the final whistle blew.
“Colorado State University apologizes 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. Mocking anyone’s faith has no place at CSU. It runs counter to our community’s values and to who we are. BYU’s players, coaches and fans deserved better. We are addressing this with our students.”
Colorado State University, via USA Today
A Growing Conference Problem Involving Anti-BYU Chants
The offensive outbursts have become increasingly common during athletic events featuring BYU teams outside of Utah. Prior incidents prompted formal apologies from Oregon in 2022, USC in 2021, Providence in 2024, and Cincinnati in 2025.
The Big 12 Conference has previously imposed financial penalties and reprimands in response to similar spectator behavior. Following student chants during a 2025 matchup, the league publicly reprimanded and fined Colorado. The conference also issued a fine to Oklahoma State earlier in the year after similar language surfaced at a basketball game against the Cougars.
Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark addressed the persistent issue earlier this year during conference media days, emphasizing the need for proactive educational outreach directed at student sections.
“I think it’s a lot of education that needs to happen with some of the student-athletes, because our student sections … is where it’s coming from. I take it very seriously. It’s a very personal thing for me. I’m Jewish. I grew up in a very diverse background. I felt hate as a young man, and I didn’t like it, and I’m here based on those experiences and in my position to try to bring about change, and change behavior.”
Brett Yormark, Big 12 Commissioner, via Deseret News
Player and Coach Reactions on the Field
Despite the hostile environment in Fort Collins, BYU personnel chose to focus primarily on athletic execution rather than crowd behavior. BYU coach Kalani Sitake addressed the chants during his post-game press conference, noting that the offensive remarks came from a distinct minority rather than the broader local community.
Photo: Deseret News
“Everyone’s human and I’m not going to dwell on that. I know amazing people that are Colorado State fans and alumni and I’m just going to focus on the beautiful people that are positives. You can’t judge the entire fan base on a few, so that’s what we’re going to focus on. The environment here was awesome, the fans were excited about their team.”
Cincinnati AD Apologizes To BYU, Latter-day Saints For Derogatory Chants
Kalani Sitake, BYU coach, via USA Today
Running back LJ Martin echoed those sentiments after a standout performance that included 176 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Martin maintained that crowd noise served little purpose in altering the team’s internal motivation on the gridiron.
“We’re self-motivated. 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.”
