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PROVO, Utah – BYU football quarterback Jake Retzlaff shared his opinion on the derogatory chant from Arizona students following Saturday’s basketball game in Tucson.
Retzlaff responded to a video shared by former BYU basketball star Eric Mika on X over the weekend. The video featured a clip from a podcast interview between Mika and Retzlaff last fall, discussing what chants Retzlaff and the BYU football team have heard on road games.
The clip comes less than two days after Arizona students chanted, “(Expletive) the Mormons,” following BYU basketball’s 96-95 win over Arizona in Tucson.
Jake Retzlaff on offensive chant at BYU/Arizona basketball game: “This can’t be normalized!”
Jake Retzlaff, who is a member of the Jewish faith, has witnessed the chants on the road in his two years as a BYU football player.
“You get the ‘F-BYU’ chant, ‘F-the Mormons’ chant, that one is prominent around the country, which is bizarre to me,” Retlzaff said in a podcast interview with Eric Mika. “You take any other religion, even my religion. Could you imagine the uproar if that happened in the media? It would be nuts. But BYU does a good job of handling it, man.”
Crazy how an arena full of people think it’s okay to do this @ArizonaMBB start the uproar. This can’t be normalized! #GoCougs #standuptoallhate https://t.co/CH5zojczyb
— Jake Retzlaff (@jretz11) February 24, 2025
Fast forward to Monday, Retzlaff shared that clip on X and wrote, “Crazy how an arena full of people think it’s okay to do this @ArizonaMBB start the uproar. This can’t be normalized! #GoCougs #standuptoallhate.”
Arizona athletics director Desiree Reed-Francois issued a statement hours after Saturday night’s game apologizing to BYU.
“Following tonight’s men’s basketball game, it was brought to our attention that an unacceptable chant occurred,” Reed-Francois wrote in a statement.
“On behalf of the University of Arizona Athletic Department, we apologize to BYU, their student-athletes, coaches and fans. The chant is not reflective of who we are and should not have happened.”
Jewish Federation of Utah issued a statement of concern regarding the derogatory chant
The Jewish Federation of Utah, which is part of a nonprofit whose mission is to protect and enhance the well-being of Jews worldwide, stated its disappointment regarding the chants from Arizona fans after the BYU basketball game.
“We express deep concern and disappointment over the derogatory chants directed at Brigham Young University and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during the recent basketball game against the University of Arizona.
“Such incidents of religions intolerance are unacceptable and have no place in our society. They not only harm the targeted community but also undermine the principles of respect and unity that bind us together.
“In times like these, it is imperative for all communities to stand together against hate and bigotry. The Jewish community, having faced its own history of prejudice, understands the profound impact of such actions. We extend our friendship and solidarity to the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and BYU, reaffirming our commitment to fostering an environment where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect.”
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.