ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips Apologizes to Clemson After Locker Room Incident
CLEMSON, S.C. — In an unexpected turn of events during the ACC Tournament Semifinal against Louisville, Clemson’s men’s basketball team found themselves locked out of their own locker room at halftime. The incident, which lasted over four minutes, has left both the Tigers and the ACC searching for answers.
Head coach Brad Brownell spoke about the situation, revealing that he received a call from ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips on Saturday night. However, Phillips did not provide any explanation for why the Tigers were locked out of their locker room.
“I did get a call from Jim Phillips last night. I was appreciative of him reaching out and apologizing,” Brownell shared after Clemson was selected as a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. “Jim has been very professional with me throughout my time here. Obviously, I spoke with Bryan Kersey, who is the ACC’s officials’ coordinator, and expressed my displeasure on a few things, but those are in the past now. We need to focus on the NCAA Tournament.”
Despite the apology, the ACC has yet to offer an official explanation or statement regarding the cause of the delay. Sources remain uncertain about why the locker room door was locked, even though security was stationed outside every locker room. Inside the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC, there was a noticeable presence of security at every door and hallway. Footage from Dusty Baker, Sports Anchor/Reporter in Louisville, KY, shows Clemson locked out of their locker room for nearly five minutes during the 10-minute halftime window.
With no resolution in sight, Clemson is looking to move forward and put the incident behind them as they turn their attention to the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
