'Something should be done now': Duke's Scheyer on court storming
Posted February 26, 2024 11:01 a.m. EST
Updated March 4, 2024 11:38 a.m. EST
Durham, N.C. — ACC men's basketball coaches said Monday that something should be done to protect players from fans who storm the court after games.
Duke sophomore standout Kyle Filipowski injured his knee when Wake Forest fans stormed the court after the Demon Deacons' 83-79 victory over Duke on Saturday in Winston-Salem. Several fans made contact with Filipowski, whose status is uncertain moving forward.
"The ACC needs to do something. There has to be something done to protect our guys to protect not just our guys, but any team that's in that situation," Duke coach Jon Scheyer said Monday.
"We shouldn't wait until next year. So that should be done right now."
The incident with Filipowski, the ACC's preseason player of the year, elevated the issue of court storming — where fans, usually students, from the home team surge onto the floor after a victory against a rival or highly ranked team. Fans often charge the floor after home victories against Duke.
Also, it is rare for Duke students to storm the court at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham.
The last time Duke fans stormed their home court was on Dec. 4, 2005, when Sean Dockery hit a game-winning, buzzer-beater against Virginia Tech.
"You either got to get rid of it or you got to organize it," NC State coach Kevin Keatts said of fans storming the court.
Keatts suggested making an announcement that a court storm would take place in two minutes.
"You don't have to storm the court when the clock hits zero," he said. "You get the same effect."
Like Keatts, other coaches suggested a clock that allows opposing players and coaches time to get off the floor before students storm the court.
Scheyer said more security and ropes could help protect players.
Other coaches said the ACC should levy harsh fines on schools. Most other leagues fine schools when a court storming or field storming in football happens, but the ACC does not.
"It's time for us to have a real serious conversation," Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said. "In my opinion, to stop this schools have got to be fined, let's say, $1 million if anybody stormed the floor before both teams have left the floor. It has to be something serious."
Wake Forest athletic director John Currie called officials at Duke after the incident. He said security had rehearsed post-game procedures.
"We clearly must do better," Currie said. He added: "I am in complete agreement that something more must be done about the national phenomenon of court and field storming."
Iowa women's basketball star Caitlin Clark collided with a fan during a court storming at Ohio State earlier this year.
"Across college athletics, we have seen far too many of these incidents that put individuals at serious risk, and it will require the cooperation of all — including spectators — to ensure everyone's well-being," ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said in a statement after the Duke-Wake Forest game.
Scheyer said other Duke players, including Jared McCain, were put in dangerous situations after the Wake Forest game as well. He credited the Blue Devils' student-managers with helping to get players off the court.
Some coaches said they don't want to lose the excitement that comes from upsets of top teams and the bond between fans and players while also finding a way to protect the opposing team.
"We all love the court storming because of the experience for the college kids, the players to be with their students, the students to be with the players," Clemson coach Brad Brownell said.
"Obviously, we can't have we can't have players getting hurt. And my concern is we're going to have a situation where a player in fear of safety, somebody's going to push them or get up in their face and a player is going to do something to a fan, too. So there's a lot of concern."
ESPN analyst Jay Bilas shares his thoughts on fans storming hte court
The Southeastern Conference is among the conferences with policies and penalties for storming the court. The SEC fines schools $100,000 for storming the court. The money is paid to the opposing team's school.
ESPN college basketball analyst and former Duke player Jay Bilas shared his thoughts on the SEC's fines.
"The schools are saying we’re happy to pay the fine because they want the visual," Bilas said.
Bilas has seen several court stormings during his playing career from 1982-1986 at Duke, from 1990-1992 as an assistant coach at Duke and as an analyst for ESPN.
"The truth is, they don't want to stop it, and they're not going to until there's an even bigger catastrophe," Bilas said.
Duke fans that WRAL News spoke with said they don't want to see the court-storming tradition banned.
"[I] don't want to get ride of it, but want to change it," Vay said. "No player should get hurt after the buzzer already has gone off."
The SEC has fined five schools in the 2023-24 season $100,000 each. It includes when Arkansas upset Duke on Nov. 29.
