Swinney defiant after ACC fines Clemson for comments

CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney has been publicly reprimanded by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), and the university itself has been levied a $25,000 fine, following Swinney’s outspoken criticism of game officials after the Tigers’ season-opening loss to Duke. Despite the penalty, Swinney has indicated he will continue to speak his mind, maintaining his belief that critical officiating mistakes were made.

The penalties were announced by the ACC on September 8th, stemming from comments Swinney made during his weekly press conference on September 5th, in Clemson, South Carolina. These remarks followed Clemson’s disappointing 28-7 defeat to Duke on September 4th in Durham, North Carolina.

During his September 5th media session, Swinney pulled no punches in dissecting the officiating from the Duke game, calling several calls “egregious,” “unacceptable,” “horrific,” and even “a disgrace.” He specifically highlighted two plays that he felt significantly impacted the game’s outcome. One was a disputed fumble call in the red zone where his player was ruled down, a decision Swinney believed should have been a clear fumble. The second involved a blocked field goal attempt by Duke that was called back due to an offside penalty, effectively granting Duke another opportunity to score. Swinney summarized his frustration by stating, “The calls were just really, really bad.”

The ACC swiftly responded to Swinney’s public comments. Citing the conference’s Sportsmanship Policy, which explicitly prohibits public criticism of officiating, the ACC delivered the reprimand to Swinney and the financial penalty to Clemson. ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips issued a statement reiterating the expectation that coaches and staff uphold “utmost professionalism and decorum” in their public statements.

However, Swinney remained unyielding in his position. At his subsequent press conference on September 12th, he firmly stated his commitment to “always speak his truth,” framing fines and reprimands as an inherent part of his role in representing his team and program. Swinney also noted his belief that the league later confirmed errors were indeed made on the crucial plays he originally criticized. Despite the acknowledgment of mistakes from the league, he affirmed his initial stance, insisting that “those calls were egregious.” His defiance suggests that while the university will bear the financial cost, Swinney remains steadfast in his willingness to challenge perceived injustices in officiating.