Big 10 Official Shuts Down Wisconsin Band's Cheer That Mocked Illinois Star For Rape Accusation

The Wisconsin Badgers band had one of its cheers get shut down by an official in the Big 10 conference title game.

During the team’s matchup with the Illinois Fighting Illini, the band began playing "No Means No," a song by Ricky J which talks about a girl who tells her lover to not have sex. The band began this chant when Terrence Shannon Jr. was at the free-throw line.

You might be thinking that’s a strange song to play in an attempt to distract an opponent. But this was a calculated move by Wisconsin.

Shannon Jr. faced a rape allegation that stemmed form an incident in September of 2023. After traveling to Lawrence, KS, to watch Illinois play Kansas in a football game, Shannon Jr. was accused of rape and was shortly thereafter suspended from the team.

Terrence Shannon Jr. (#0, seen here in Big 10 semifinal) was reinstated by Illinois after facing rape allegations. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

In January, he was reinstated back to the team after a federal judge filed an injunction and delayed a ruling in the case. That’s why he was able to play in the conference title game today.

Brain Hamilton, a reporter for The Athletic, said that a Big 10 official did indeed shut the cheer down for that reason.

"Wisconsin band members confirmed the "No means no" chant was shut down by the Big Ten.

I asked the Big Ten official who addressed the band for the reason why, and was told, "Are we seriously going to argue about this right now?," he wrote on X.

The Fighting Illini won the Big 10 title 93-87.