Brigham Young University was in the midst of a dream season. Their star player Jimmer Fredette has been lighting up the scoreboard as the team rumbled through the season and began to close in on one of the four top seeds in the NCAA tournament.

But then their athletic swingman, Brandon Davies, was dismissed from the team.

Why was he dismissed? For having sex with his girlfriend. Yes, you read that right. He had sex…with his girlfriend.

So what’s the big deal? Well…everything. You see, BYU is a Mormon university and has what is called an “honor code” each and every student must adhere to (regardless of whether or not they are of Mormon faith). This list includes:

• Be honest
• Live a chaste and virtuous life
• Obey the law and all campus policies
• Use clean language
• Respect others
• Abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee and substance abuse
• Participate regularly in church services
• Observe the Dress and Grooming Standards
• Encourage others in their commitment to comply with the Honor Code

Davies violated the code and the team put principles over athletic prowess and let the sophomore—and possibly their dream season—go. The impact of losing Davies and his 11 points/6 rebounds per game was felt immediately last night when the 27-2 Cougars took on New Mexico and their 19-11 record. What would have been a relatively easy game for BYU turned out to be a terrible route as New Mexico cruised to a 82-64 thumping  on BYU’s home court. And just like that, dreams of a #1 seed vanished. Hell, dreams of making it to the Sweet Sixteen may have evaporated right along with it.

Fans are rightfully upset because they just want to win. But you’ve got to give some credit to a school that could care less about their athletic performance as long as their students are following the rules—no matter how harsh we may view them as. BYU’s “Honor Code” would have turned me away the moment they said I couldn’t curse or couldn’t have a cup of tea. But those who opt to go to BYU have to accept the parameters and deal with them.

Just how Davies got caught having sex with his girlfriend is beyond us, but he admitted to breaking the rules and will now have to watch his team’s National Championship aspirations crumble.

Is it fair? Who cares what we think. It’s refreshing to see one college practice what they preach when there’s a ton of other colleges breaking every rule in the book. Davies knew what he signed up for.

Bookmark to: