Colorado State University is apologizing after some of its student spectators directed a pro-Russia chant at a Ukrainian student-athlete on the opposing team at a Saturday night basketball game.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Officials said in a tweet<\/a> they learned after the game “that a small group of individuals in our student section chanted ‘Russia’ at a student-athlete from Utah State, who is from Ukraine.”\u00a0<\/p>\n “On behalf of Colorado State, we apologize to the student-athlete and Utah State,” the school said in a follow-up tweet.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Every participant, student, and fan should feel welcomed in our venues, and for something like this to have occurred is unacceptable at Colorado State,” the tweet thread concluded<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n While the university didn’t name the student who was targeted in its tweets, NBC affiliate KSL of Salt Lake City reported<\/a> that Utah State junior guard Max Shulga was the target of the chant, which occurred while he was attempting free throws near the end of the game.\u00a0<\/p>\n Shulga was born in Ukraine’s capital of Kiev and attended high school in Spain, according to his official biography<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n KSL reported last year<\/a> that Shulga’s family still resides in Kiev, and that he draped a Ukrainian flag over himself <\/a>at the start of the first game following the Russian invasion of Ukraine<\/a>. Utah State students also held up yellow and blue papers<\/a>, resembling the Ukrainian flag, at that game to show their support for Shulga.\u00a0<\/p>\n The year-long war has led to the deaths of thousands of civilians and soldiers, as well as Russian troops committing sexual violence<\/a> and torture against women and children<\/a> in Ukraine, as well as other war crimes, according to a United Nations investigation<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Utah State Athletics released a statement on Sunday<\/a> condemning the incident, calling it “inappropriate and unacceptable,” and said that both the department and the university support Shulga and his family in Ukraine.\u00a0<\/p>\n “We appreciate the Colorado State administration and basketball staff for not condoning such behavior,” the statement concluded.\u00a0<\/p>\n In a statement provided to NBC News, Colorado State University’s Assistant Vice President of Communications, Greg Harrison, said the university directs its apology to Shuga, the Utah State basketball team and its fans, and that the CSU students or employees who participated in the chant could be subject to disciplinary action.<\/p>\n “If a student or employee was involved [in the chant] and can be identified, they would be subject to a review under the student code of conduct,” Harrison said. “Based on the findings of a code of conduct review, a student or employee can be prohibited from entering future athletic events, among other actions.”\u00a0<\/p>\n The Utah State Aggies won the Saturday night game<\/a> against the Colorado Rams 88-79.\u00a0<\/p>\n