Arizona State University has suggested that fans avoid using face paint of any color ahead of Saturday’s annual ‘blackout’ game against Colorado at Sun Devil Stadium.

The request comes after a series of blackface controversies sparking national headlines have marred the annual tradition.

The Sun Devils wear all-black uniforms for one home game each season and encourage their fans to follow suit. Yet several isolated groups of students have used the occasion as a pretext to don blackface, a form of theatrical makeup that evokes regrettable stereotypes and is uniformly regarded as racist.

“As an inclusive and forward-thinking university, it is important for us to foster an environment in which everyone feels safe and accepted,” the Tempe university said in a statement. “Therefore, we discourage the use of face paint at any event, whether the theme is black, maroon, gold or white, and ask our fans to show their Sun Devil Pride in other ways.

“We look forward to working with all of Sun Devil Nation on continuing to show our support in ways that all of us can appreciate and embrace.”



The instances made national headlines after last year’s game against UCLA and a 2011 win over Missouri.

While the ASU Black African Coalition has called for the school to prohibit all face paint, administrators have instead opted to strongly discourage the practice while not calling for an outright ban.