Football Game Environment

November 7, 2022

To the Coastal Carolina University Community,

Last Thursday night was a monumental moment for our campus: a national television audience in prime time against a conference rival in front of a sold-out Brooks Stadium crowd. The atmosphere was electric, and I know our team fed off the energy they felt throughout the game. I thank all those who came and cheered on the Chants in a respectful manner.

There were, however, some areas where we fell embarrassingly short of the standards to which we hold ourselves as a University community. In the past few days, I’ve received dozens of messages from people all over the country questioning why visiting fans were treated so poorly. Profane chants could be heard very distinctly on the national broadcast and violated our very own University sportsmanship statement that is crystal clear as to what is expected of all those who attend events: 

In the spirit of sportsmanship, all athletic administrators, coaches, student-athletes, spirit groups, and fans shall act with respect, fairness, civility, and honesty in an effort to create an appropriate environment for athletic competition. Harassing behaviors, including racist or sexist comments or physical or verbal abuse, are strictly prohibited and warrant immediate removal from the facility without warning. Thank you for your cooperation and support.

Last year, we had a similar situation early in the season with fan behavior, prompting us to release a video featuring some of our student-body leaders. Please watch the video.

Former head coach and current executive director of football, Joe Moglia, shared this video message for our campus as well.  

Next season, we have some exciting things planned to increase fan engagement even more, and you’ll be hearing about these initiatives in the near future. We have our last regular-season home game this Saturday, which will be broadcast on ESPNU at 7:30 p.m. Let’s show Teal Nation, and the rest of the country, how we support our Chants in a positive and respectful manner that is reflective of the fun and excitement of this season.

Be Loud. Be Proud. Be Respectful. 

Go Chants!

Michael T. Benson