Desireé Reed-Francois, the athletic director at the University of Arizona, has stepped forward to take accountability and extend an apology to BYU after a group of Wildcats supporters were recorded on video participating in a disrespectful chant following the Cougars’ narrow 96-95 win in Saturday’s men’s basketball clash.
In her statement, Reed-Francois conveyed her regret, saying, “After the conclusion of tonight’s men’s basketball game, we were made aware of an inappropriate chant. On behalf of the University of Arizona Athletic Department, I sincerely apologize to BYU, their athletes, coaches, and fans. Such behavior does not represent our values and should never have occurred.”
As reported by ESPN’s Myron Medcalf, the footage captured Arizona fans chanting a derogatory phrase that included the term ‘Mormons’ directed at BYU as the players exited the court.
This incident unfolded at the end of an intensely contested game marked by controversial officiating in the closing moments, which left Arizona fans feeling aggrieved. A particularly disputed call involved Wildcats guard Caleb Love, who was not granted a shooting foul on a pivotal basket that could have earned him an and-1 opportunity. Although Love converted both free throws to give Arizona a 95-94 lead, BYU’s Richie Saunders drew a foul soon after and sank two free throws to clinch the victory for his team.
Tempers flared as fans, players, and Arizona’s head coach Tommy Lloyd expressed their dissatisfaction with the officiating. Lloyd recognized the frustration, stating, “It’s a bad call. What can I say? It’s unfortunate that a game is decided by such moments.”
Looking ahead, Arizona and BYU are not expected to meet again this season unless they cross paths in either the Big 12 or NCAA tournaments. The two teams have already faced off twice this season, with each game resulting in a win for the visiting side.
