Scott Gleeson

USA TODAY Sports

Former Texas Christian football player Vince Pryor said he used to dream of playing for Brigham Young as a kid.

"BYU was a small underdog school that beat teams against the odds. It was inspiring," Pryor told USA TODAY Sports.

When it came time to choose a Division I destination, though, he realized the Mormon institution owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints could be an unwelcome environment as he was struggling to accept his sexual orientation.

Pryor eventually told his teammates he was gay before his senior season with the Horned Frogs and came out publicly in 2011. If he were still playing for TCU today, Pryor said he wouldn't feel comfortable traveling to BYU.

When religion and the LGBT collegiate athlete collide

That's a major concern for BYU as it makes its case as one of the top candidates to join the Big 12 Conference.

"Their policies are not in line with other Big 12 members," Pryor said. "Adding BYU would be a huge contradiction to what TCU and the Big 12 represent."

TCU is one of two religious-affiliated private universities in the Big 12 — the other being Baylor — and prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. The school's associate athletics director, Drew Martin, is the only openly gay male senior administrator in the Big 12.

Martin said of BYU: "I cannot comment on the topic of conference expansion, as I am not involved in that process; however as an openly gay man, I fundamentally disagree with any institution of higher learning having discriminatory language written into a code of conduct or university policy barring expression of gender identity, sexual orientation or sexual identity that would result in punishment of a student or, if required to remain suppressed in order to avoid punishment, effectively cause a student mental anguish and harm."

Late Monday, 25 LGBT organizations from around the country signed a letter addressed to Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, urging the league to shun BYU from admittance based on the school's "homophobic, biphobic and transphobic policies and practices."

Athletic directors and presidents from the 10 league schools also received the letter, which said BYU "provides no protections for LGBT students" and "is very clear about its intent to discriminate" in reference to the school's honor code, which states, "homosexual behavior is inappropriate" and bans "all forms of physical intimacy that give expression to homosexual feelings."

BYU students can be suspended or dismissed for violating that part of the honor code, and gay coaches or athletes are required to practice chastity. The NCAA, college sports' governing body, promotes inclusion at its events but does not enforce a religious institution to change a policy.

10 schools that would fit best for expanding Big 12

Bowlsby responded to Athlete Ally, one of the leading organizations to send the letter, on Tuesday saying the Big 12 will take any form of discrimination into consideration during its publicly stated plans for expansion from 10 member schools. Other universities frequently mentioned in the expansion discussion include Boise State, Cincinnati, Colorado State, Connecticut, Houston, Memphis, Central Florida and South Florida. Schools need eight of 10 votes by conference presidents in order to join the Big 12.

BYU is one of the many schools around the country that has drawn ire from LGBT activists for having what they consider homophobic policies. The university's athletics director, Tom Holmoe, tweeted Tuesday afternoon: "LGBT players, coaches, and fans are always welcome to the BYU campus. Everyone should be treated with respect, dignity and love."

One organization that did not sign the letter is an off-campus LGBT group made up of more than 40 BYU students, USGA (Understanding Same Gender Attraction). Its mission is to prevent suicide and enhance the mental health of LGBT students at BYU. USGA's president, Addison Jenkins, said the organization would "highly consider" defending the university in its bid for the Big 12 but still took more of a neutral stance in support.

"Homosexuality at BYU is a taboo topic, and there are no specific resources for LGBTQ/same sex attracted students," Jenkins, who directed and produced a PSA for USGA on YouTube in 2015 titled, "#INeedHimToo." "This contributes to a campus culture where homophobic and insensitive attitudes make it difficult to be gay at BYU."

"I think commissioner Bowlsby should welcome BYU as a full member of the Big 12 as long as BYU’s conduct meets conference standards," said Jenkins, adding that the "increased attention to queer issues" can help initiate more dialogue and bring "meaningful improvements" to BYU's culture on campus.

Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride — one of the LGBT advocacy groups that signed the letter to the Big 12 — said "BYU is ultimately one of the worst places to be LGBT, whether you're an openly gay or closeted student or an athlete who is gay visiting campus for an athletic event." He said the school is using its honor code, which outlaws any premarital sex and has a wide array of strict rules, as a crutch to discriminate.

"This is about students feeling safe at the end of the day and discrimination being wrong," Windmeyer said. "The honor code is something students choose to sign, yes, but some students don't know they're gay until college, and some who go to BYU don't necessarily have a choice if they are Mormon and their families want them to go there."

Ashland Johnson, director of policy and campaigns for Athlete Ally — one of the leading organizations to send the letter — said the crux of the issue is that the BYU honor code does not prohibit heterosexual couples from holding hands or kissing but pinpoints any form of same-sex attraction. She said the goal of the coalition of advocacy groups was to send an emphatic message to BYU that its policies can "come at a cost" — literally.

"North Carolina lost millions of dollars when the NBA All-Star game was taken away and BYU could lose millions of dollars by not joining the Big 12," Johnson said. "The NBA has taken steps forward with the (LGBT) movement. The NCAA has taken steps forward. The Big 12 doesn't need to take a step back here."

Big 12 can't risk falling behind rest of Power Five, so expansion it is

The NCAA has struggled to balance its vision of inclusive environments and religious freedom for its institutions. One of its core values promises "an inclusive culture that fosters equitable participation" for athletes, while another promises "respect for institutional philosophical differences."

But in April the NCAA announced it would add an LGBT anti-discrimination requirement for its championship events. Recently, it sent questionnaires to current and potential host cities inquiring about county, city and state anti-discrimination laws.

"How the NCAA has improved speaks volumes," Johnson said. "Now it's the Big 12's turn to make a statement."

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