UCF Pays $100,000 to Big 12

University of Central Florida students and staff will see a shift in conference rules after the Big 12 fined the school $100,000 on Wednesday. The penalty follows derogatory chants directed at BYU football players during a game last Saturday. Conference officials stated the money will fund student education initiatives.

The Big 12 confirmed the action in a news release, noting that UCF followed protocols by removing specific fans from the stadium. The release declared that discriminatory behavior has no place in the league. While the official statement did not define the specific words used, online videos captured fans chanting "f, the Mormons."

The league introduced a new policy structure for in-game penalties to address continued discriminatory conduct. A first offense now carries a minimum fine of $100,000 along with a formal warning. If a second confirmed incident occurs during the same game, the team faces an on-field penalty. Examples include a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in football or a two-shot technical foul in basketball.

Continued behavior after these warnings can trigger an additional $500,000 fine. Fans removed from the stadium for such conduct are banned from all athletic events for the remainder of the academic year. The policy change applies to all member institutions.

This fine marks the second instance this year where a Big 12 school was penalized for chants aimed at BYU. Oklahoma State received a $50,000 fine earlier this year for similar behavior during a men's basketball game. BYU is affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.