Big 12 Fines UCF $100,000, Adds Fan Conduct Penalties

The Big 12 Conference fined UCF $100,000 after discriminatory chants directed at BYU during a football game and announced stricter penalties for future incidents, including possible in-game competitive sanctions. The conference said the fine will fund student education initiatives. It said UCF followed pregame protocols and removed some people responsible during the game, but that those steps did not remove the need for a sanction. The updated policy took effect immediately. A first confirmed incident of discriminatory conduct at an athletic event brings an automatic fine of at least $100,000 and a formal warning to the institution. The rules allow the institution to address the behavior and prevent further incidents. A second confirmed incident during the same contest can trigger a competitive penalty. The conference gave a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in football and an unsportsmanlike technical foul in basketball as examples. An additional fine may also be imposed; one report put that possible amount at $500,000. The policy also provides that fans ejected for discriminatory conduct will be barred from all athletic events for the remainder of the academic year....