Platte Valley and Highland High School meet mid-field to pray together after a hard fought conference title game. Photo credit: Conlan Moe
Religious displays in sports are not uncommon and have been around for years in every league and age group. During the fall on Saturday afternoons at Nottingham Field, many football players wearing Bears on the front of their jerseys will sprint onto the field and run to the opposite end zone. What they do next is a gesture many around the world do in different ways, a momentary prayer before getting into action.
Any sort of prayer or other forms of religion displayed in sports is a heavy practice. If you tune into any teams post-game press conference and media scrums, stars alike will give thanks to whoever they believe in. The tensions involving the topic of religion today is a hot button issue, but sports is a field that many are fine seeing it in.
In a survey conducted before Super Bowl LIX, SportsSpectrum.com found that out of 1,540 adults, 56% of them were in support of religion in sports.
The Mirror conducted a survey that was sent to UNC students to get more of a perspective on the matter. A total of 40 students submitted responses and 57.5% strongly supported religious displays before, during and after contests.
Jalen Reiman, a UNC sophomore, competed in swimming in high school. She found religion as a way to not only bring her team together, but the community as well.
“A lot of the team would write in Sharpie A-O-1 (Audience of One the Lord). Religion in sports really brought my team together,” Reiman said. “I think seeing other religions in sports would be a beautiful thing to witness and hear about.”
UNC is not shy of letting students express their First Amendment as the school has many on-campus groups. One in particular is the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which consists of over 40 students who are part of the athletics and even the Pride of the Rockies, the UNC Band.
Outside of campus grounds, the respect and support for others using their platform to demonstrate certain beliefs was similar to the ones by students. Greeley Tribune reporter Anne Delaney is all for seeing the sight and says that, “Whatever they have to do to get ready,” she is OK with.
Most demonstrations and displays you see on gameday align with the Christian faith. That is no surprise if you look at the Pew Research Center’s data, which shows an increase in followers of different religions around the world. From 2010 to 2020, over 2.3 billion people were Christian, but Islam was close behind with 2 billion.
The Islamic faith is rapidly growing around the world, and a handful of professional athletes are known to be connected to the religion. NBA Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were two that were vocal during their playing days and would always participate in Ramadan while in season.
Jumping back to present day athletes, one of the new young stars in the NFL wasn’t afraid to show his faith while at the 2025 NFL Draft. Abdul Carter is a follower of the Islamic faith and he wore an outfit that looked similar to a Muslim robe, a thobe, while on the red carpet for the draft.
New York Giants rookie Abdul Carter from the 2025 NFL Draft in an outfit similar to a Muslim thobe.
“I’m just paying homage to what got me here,” Carter said. “Just praying to God, praying to Allah, you know, dressing like Muslims. That’s what got me here.”
With data showing that a good majority of people in America are in support of religion in sports, there was a time when it felt silly and even heavily criticized to keep them out of games. Starting in 2007 during his Heisman Trophy winning season, former Denver Broncos quarterback, Tim Tebow was at the center of internet and public jokes.
Outside of his athletic abilities and accolades, Tebow was known for being very outspoken of his Christian faith and had it on full display throughout his career. One way he would express his faith is write Bible verses on his eye black. The biggest one of all though was a little thing called “Tebowing."
If you grew up around Bronco fans from 2010 to 2011, then Tebowing is not unknown. In fact, the gesture was a giant meme during the early 2010s until he was gone from the league. Tebow was often targeted for “overplaying” his faith and was criticized for it. There was even an opinionated article on ESPN from Nov. 2011 about Detroit Lion players mocking Tebow during the Broncos matchup on Oct. 30, 2011.
“Tebowing” is a gesture when an individual gets down on one knee and takes a moment to pray and reflect. Photo credit: BostonGlobe.com
Two players during the game did the Tebowing pose after a touchdown and a sack on #15, and while it was not meant to mock his faith, it was to poke fun at Tebow and the publicity he would often receive. Even if it was just a jab at Tebow, the article is a reflection of viewers' thoughts during the time of Tebow being attacked for fully displaying his faith.
The author of the article, Jemele Hill felt that the Lions players were disrespecting Tebow for his spiritual connection.
“It’s on par with ridiculing them about their family," Hill said. "You don't have to be a Christian to get that, just someone who understands the concept of respect.”
Not all athletes who display their faith have received this kind of understanding. In the mid-1990s, NBA star Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf faced intense backlash when he refused to stand for the national anthem due to his Islamic beliefs. He was fined, suspended and widely criticized, highlighting how public reactions can be far harsher when faith intersects with political or cultural expectations.
Years later, tensions surrounding the subjects have died down and have become more accepted. In our survey, one question asked if religious displays in sports have grown and become more accepted, and it was an even split. The results came back with 33.3% of students seeing more acceptance, another said they don't believe there has been and the last third said they think it has remained the same over the years.
Defensive specialist for the volleyball team, GA McCarter, is one of five leaders who run the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She believes that athletes' faith has become more accepted and has seen it with the increase of attendance at FCA huddles and personal messages on athletes.
“There’s been such a revival on campus. Lots of girls on our team have been writing (verses) on their hands,” McCarter said. “Using your talents as a platform, I think has become something so much more than it has been in the past.”
While many athletes and fans see religion as a unifying and positive presence in athletics, not everyone feels comfortable with faith being displayed so publicly under the lights. Recent surveys and analyses show that a meaningful minority of Americans prefer sports to remain religiously neutral.
One major concern is that faith is deeply personal and some people feel uncomfortable when athletes use public, televised moments to express their beliefs. According to a 2022 poll by AP‑NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, many members of the public believe that religion should remain private and not be showcased in public entertainment spaces like sporting events.
From the survey conducted by The Mirror, a small number were against any form of displays being shown in sports. 27.5% disapproved of acts and 42.5% believe that religious expression divides a fan base.
One student who wished to remain anonymous, felt that religion and sports should be their own separate “entities” because of the various views people have. They believe that people shouldn’t be burdened or obligated to participate in whichever religion the sport seems biased toward.
While religion in sports has sparked controversy in the past, from Tebow to Abdul-Rauf, recent surveys and campus experiences suggest a growing acceptance of athletes expressing their faith. Though tensions are high today, it seems that fans and players alike are learning to respect diverse beliefs in sports while enjoying the game.
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