Nearly half of Big 12 football players in survey say they've been racially taunted

Eleven of the 24 Big 12 football players in a survey published this week claimed they had been racially or ethnically taunted by opposing players or fans.

The survey, where players were granted anonymity, was conducted by The Dallas Morning News and included at least one player from each of the conference's 10 schools. Those surveyed included players from various racial and ethnic backgrounds. 

"Just being called words you don't want to be called," one of the players said. "And you know you can't do anything about it because you're playing football."

Respondents said West Virginia was cited as the most frequent place where players allegedly heard the race-based taunts. 

The West Virginia athletic department said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports that it's "unfortunate that this survey perpetuates stereotypes."

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West Virginia also had the distinction of being the least-favorite place to play; nine of the respondents picked the Mountaineers' Milan Puskar Stadium. Texas Tech was second (seven votes), followed by Oklahoma State (five). 

"They are brutal there," one player said of West Virginia. "They say a lot of stuff there. There's no filter on their fans at all. I've heard everything."

Here's the full statement from West Virginia: 

"West Virginia University is a proud member of the Big 12. And our fans have done a great job of welcoming conference opponents and their following to Morgantown. From welcome groups and team hosts who roam the stadium to guide visitors, to our fans inviting out-of-town guests to tailgates, we have received extremely positive feedback regarding our game-day experience since joining the league five years ago.
 
"There is no question that Milan Puskar Stadium is a tough place to play. Our fans are very passionate about their team, but that is the case in many Power 5 stadiums across the country. We always make fan safety our primary concern, while providing a hospitable and memorable experience. It is unfortunate that this survey perpetuates stereotypes, but know that we will always strive to make improvements for our fans, guests and student-athletes. However, we are certain that anyone who visits West Virginia University will experience goodwill and a spirit that reflects our Mountaineer values."

The survey was conducted last week during the Big 12's media days. The Dallas Morning News is rolling the poll results out — which also hit on the city players would like the Big 12 to expand to and the conference's biggest trash talkers — over multiple days this week.