Scheyer: Duke staffer with ‘bloody lip’ from UNC court storming ‘doing better’
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- Scheyer reports Duke staffer injured in UNC court storming is doing better
- ACC fined North Carolina $50,000 for failing to secure court after game
- Coaches call for improved exit protocols to protect players and staff
Duke coach Jon Scheyer said Monday morning that the Blue Devils staff member injured during North Carolina fans’ court storming Saturday night is “doing better” and did not suffer serious harm, while reiterating concerns about safety in chaotic postgame celebrations.
Speaking on the ACC’s weekly coaches call, Scheyer said one Duke staffer was punched in the face amid the rush of fans following UNC’s 71-68 win over Duke at the Dean E. Smith Center.
“After the game, what happened was I came back in the locker room and he’s got a bloody lip and he’s disheveled,” Scheyer said, “and he didn’t know what happened. He got trampled on the floor. That was my main concern after the game. That’s why I said what I said.”
The ACC fined North Carolina $50,000 on Sunday for violating the league’s event security policy, citing the failure to keep unauthorized people off the court until Duke’s bench personnel and officials could exit safely. The fine, which goes to the ACC’s scholarship fund for athletes, was UNC’s first offense.
North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham apologized publicly after the game and said the school would review video and protocols. In a statement after the fine was announced, UNC said it accepted the penalty and considers the matter closed.
Tar Heels coach Hubert Davis said Monday morning he has communicated with Scheyer and stood by Cunningham’s postgame comments addressing the incident.
Clemson coach Brad Brownell, speaking on the ACC coaches call, said court storming remains a safety concern but would “hate for them to go away.”
“Obviously, player safety needs to be at the forefront, because I do think we’ve got to be really careful,” Brownell said Monday morning. “We’re going to have an incident where some kid comes face to face with a player, and a player’s not sure what the kid’s going to do. And one of our players, or somebody’s player, is going to... be defending themselves or thinking he needs to.”
Saturday’s court storming occurred twice after UNC senior guard Seth Trimble’s game-winning 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left initially appeared to beat the buzzer, prompting fans to rush the floor before officials reviewed the play and restored time to the clock.
After time expired, fans rushed the court a second time.
Scheyer said he does not oppose court storming itself but has repeatedly emphasized the need for better procedures to get teams off the floor safely.
“One of our guys, he got hit in the face, got trampled, looked like he had been in complete brawl after the game,” Scheyer said Monday, “and he’s doing better now. But that should never happen. And that’s exactly what happened.”
This story was originally published February 9, 2026 at 11:58 AM.
