UNC Fined $50,000 by ACC After Court Storming Incident

The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) has informed the University of North Carolina (UNC) of a $50,000 fine following students storming the court at the Dean Smith Center. The incident occurred after the Tar Heels' 71-68 victory over the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday night.

Policy Violation and Context

UNC has been fined $50,000 by the ACC for violating the league's event policy. This policy specifically aims to protect the safety of student-athletes, coaches, officials, and fans. The ACC introduced fines for storming fields or courts this year, partly in response to a February 2024 incident at Wake Forest where Duke player Kyle Filipowski was injured.

UNC fans stormed the court twice during Saturday's game. The first instance occurred after Seth Trimble made a go-ahead three-pointer with 0.4 seconds remaining, which required officials to clear the court to resume play. Fans stormed the court again after the game concluded.

The ACC's event policy, aimed at protecting the safety of all game participants and fans, was violated by UNC. The conference's new fine structure was established partly due to a prior injury incident involving Duke's Kyle Filipowski.

Responses to the Incident

UNC officials stated they accepted the fine. They affirmed that the school followed proper protocols to safely remove Duke players, staff, and officials from the floor and consider the matter concluded. UNC also stated, "We will continue to review our protocols to provide the highest measures of safety in the event fans rush the court."

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer reported that Blue Devils staff members were punched and his family felt concerned for their safety after the game. A Duke staff member sustained an injury, received treatment, and is recovering, though specific details of the injury were not provided by the university.

While UNC accepted the fine and affirmed safety protocols were followed, Duke coach Jon Scheyer reported staff were punched and a staff member was injured, raising concerns about safety.

ACC Fine Structure

ACC policy stipulates fines of $50,000, $100,000, and $200,000 for subsequent offenses across two seasons in football and basketball. Schools are also required to have a plan for safely escorting opposing teams and personnel off the court.

All fines collected under this policy are directed to the Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford Postgraduate Scholarship Fund, which supports ACC student-athletes pursuing graduate education.

The ACC policy enforces escalating fines for repeat court-storming incidents, mandating safety plans for schools, with all proceeds funding postgraduate scholarships for student-athletes.