9News reports that CU Boulder is ramping up game-day security after a national embarrassment at its Sept. 27 football matchup against BYU. Videos from the student section captured CU fans shouting religious slurs at BYU supporters, prompting a $50,000 fine from the Big 12 Conference and a full-scale administrative meltdown.
Now the university is rolling out plainclothes officers, expanded AI monitoring technology, and the threat of game bans for “unruly” fans. Officials from CU’s Division of Student Life and Public Safety say the goal is to ensure “all visitors feel welcome, safe, and respected.” Students, however, are split – some call the crackdown an overreaction, others say the chants were exaggerated and not representative of the crowd.
The Bullet Point Brief
- CU fined $50,000 by the Big 12 after fans hurled religious slurs at BYU fans.
- University to add plainclothes officers and “fan behavior” monitoring tech at games.
- Misbehaving fans risk ejection or season-long bans.
- Students divided – some see it as overkill, others say “it’s college football.”
- CU leaders say they want to “restore respect” at Folsom Field.
My Bottom Line
Let’s be clear right out of the gate: we abhor the behavior of those students. There’s no excuse – none – for hurling religious slurs at anyone, ever.
But here’s what’s rich: since when did religious intolerance become the mantra in tolerant Boulder? This is the town that slaps “Coexist” bumper stickers on every Prius, preaches inclusivity from every coffee shop, and then thinks it’s fine to mock people for their faith because they wear a BYU hoodie? Spare us the hypocrisy.
“Tolerance” in Boulder seems to apply only if you think, vote, and worship the way Boulder thinks you should. The same folks who call themselves open-minded are the first to sneer at Christians, Mormons, or anyone else who doesn’t toe the progressive line. It’s not enlightenment – it’s elitism with better PR.
So yes, clean up the behavior in the stands. But maybe, just maybe, the university should start by cleaning up its culture. Because this wasn’t just drunken college kids – it was a reflection of a deeper rot in what Boulder calls “tolerance.” If you truly believe in coexistence, then it has to include people of faith, too.
