Desireé Reed-Francois, the athletic director for the University of Arizona, has publicly acknowledged the inappropriate behavior of Wildcats fans and extended an apology to BYU following a controversial incident during last Saturday’s men’s basketball game, which ended in a close 96-95 victory for the Cougars.

Reed-Francois conveyed her remorse in a statement, saying, “After the game, we became aware of an unacceptable chant that took place. On behalf of the Arizona Athletic Department, we sincerely apologize to BYU, their student-athletes, coaches, and supporters. This chant does not represent our values and should never have occurred.”

As reported by ESPN’s Myron Medcalf, footage revealed that Arizona fans directed a derogatory chant, including the term ‘Mormons,’ at the BYU players as they exited the court.

The incident unfolded at the conclusion of a highly charged match characterized by several controversial officiating decisions that left Arizona fans feeling frustrated. One particularly disputed call involved Wildcats guard Caleb Love, who wasn’t awarded a shooting foul on a pivotal basket that could have led to an and-1 situation. Despite successfully making both free throws to give Arizona a brief lead at 95-94, BYU’s Richie Saunders drew a foul and converted two free throws, clinching the victory for his team.

Tempers flared as players, fans, and Arizona’s head coach Tommy Lloyd expressed their dissatisfaction with the officiating. Lloyd remarked on the situation, stating, “It’s a bad call. I mean, what can you do? It’s unfortunate for a game to hinge on a decision like that.”

This season, Arizona and BYU are not likely to meet again unless they cross paths in the Big 12 or NCAA tournaments. The teams have already faced each other twice this season, with the visiting side winning both encounters.