The Filipowski rule? ACC to fine schools for field, court storming

CHARLOTTE — Schools in the Atlantic Coast Conference will face fines if fans storm the football field or basketball court before the visiting team can safely exit.

Call it the Kyle Filipowski rule.

Filipowski, a former Duke star, injured his right knee in a collision with a fan during a court storming at Wake Forest in February 2024. He said after the game he thought it was “intentional.”

ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips announced the new policy, which initially applies to football and men’s and women’s basketball, Tuesday morning at the ACC Kickoff event in Charlotte. 

Phillips said high-profile incidents in recent years like the one involving Filipowski and one involving former Iowa women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark at Ohio State elevated the issue. Filipowski didn't miss any time after the incident at Wake Forest.

“I'm not picking on Wake Forest, but you're asking me about moments where student-athletes really are getting pushed and bumped and tripped and then the rest,” Phillips said. “This past year, when I saw it early on in the year, especially a couple of the league games, but then noticing across the country some of the activities that were going on. So that really spurred this idea of safety.”

Phillips said court storming “seems to happen a lot to Duke and North Carolina,” the league’s top men’s basketball programs historically.

“We have to protect those student-athletes across all of our 18 programs,” he said.

Schools will face escalating fines of $50,000, $100,000 and $200,000 per offense that will accumulate through two seasons in football and basketball. Each school is required to develop event security plans, which will be reviewed by an independent third party.

“Only participants, coaches, officials, and authorized personnel are allowed in the competition area before, during, and at the conclusion of any competition,” Phillips said. “The plan may allow spectators to access the competition area following a contest, but only after the visiting team and officials have safely exited the area. With the elevated safety expectations, there's critical importance to ensure that adequate time for all members of the visiting team to safely lead the field of play.”

The fine money will be used to support the league’s post-graduate scholarship fund.