Colorado State issued a public apology to Utah State and Ukrainian guard Max Shulga after some of its fans chanted “Russia” at Shulga during Saturday’s game.
Shulga — who is from Kyiv, Ukraine, where his family still resides — went to the free throw line late in the game, and the “Russia” chants could be heard from the Colorado State student section.
Colorado State said in a series of tweets that the chant came from a “small group of individuals.”
“On behalf of Colorado State, we apologize to the student-athlete and Utah State,” the school said. “This is a violation of our steadfast belief in the Mountain West Sportsmanship Policy and University Principles of Community.
“Every participant, student, and fan should feel welcomed in our venues, and for something like this to have occurred is unacceptable at Colorado State.”
Shulga was 3-for-4 from the free throw line in the final minute to help the Aggies to an 88-79 win.
Later this month will mark one year since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The invasion has led to the ban of Russian players from numerous sporting events, including Wimbledon last year, and an ongoing debate over whether to allow Russian athletes at next year’s Paris Olympics.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.