Photo Courtesy of Aryah Britt

The Big 12 Conference fined UCF $100,000 on Wednesday after the program’s historic home double-overtime victory against then-No. 2 BYU, according to a press release.

The conference said it completed its review of discriminatory chants directed at BYU during the matchup and issued UCF a hefty fine that will impact student education initiatives.

“While the Conference recognizes the pregame protocols followed by UCF and immediate actions taken during the game, including removal of some individuals responsible for the conduct, discriminatory behavior has no place in the Big 12,” the conference said.

The Big 12 is also enacting an updated conference-wide policy that increases consequences for discriminatory conduct at athletic events, effective immediately, the statement said. The conference included the following:

• A confirmed first incident during a game will result in an automatic minimum $100,000 fine.
• A formal warning will follow the first incident, providing the institution an opportunity to immediately address the behavior and prevent further incidents.
• A second confirmed incident during the same game will result in an in-game competitive penalty, e.g., a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty in football or an unsportsmanlike two-shot technical foul in basketball, and may result in an additional $500,000 fine.
• Individuals ejected for discriminatory conduct will be prohibited from attending all athletic events for the remainder of the academic year and are subject to applicable University fan/student conduct policies.

The conference said it stays committed to providing a respectful environment for student-athletes, coaches and fans.

“Discriminatory conduct will not be tolerated, and the Conference will continue working with its member institutions to prevent such behavior and ensure meaningful consequences when incidents occur,” the Big 12 said.