ACC reprimands Narduzzi after Virginia Tech game

In the wake of Pitt’s loss to Virginia Tech, the ACC issued a public reprimand Sunday evening to Pitt head football coach Pat Narduzzi for criticizing the game’s referees after Thursday night’s game.

In a statement, the ACC said Narduzzi’s criticisms violated the league’s Sportsmanship Policy and warranted a $5,000 institutional fine against Pitt, which it issued Sunday.

“I thought there were some things that were one-sided out there tonight that really irked me,” Narduzzi said during the postgame conference Thursday, referring to the calls made by officials on the field. “[The receivers] did a great job pushing off all night.”

Narduzzi’s reprimand was also accompanied by that of Florida State head football coach Jimbo Fisher, who caused similar problems in his team’s game against Clemson on Oct. 29. His actions, though, resulted in a $20,000 fine.

“Public criticism of officials or public comments evaluating the officiating of particular contests is not in the best interest of intercollegiate athletics,” the ACC said in the press release Sunday. “Individuals associated with the athletics program are prohibited, therefore, from commenting while acting in an official capacity on officiating other than directly to the Conference office.”

According to the ACC, the funds received from the two imposed institutional fines will help fund the Weaver-James-Corrigan Postgraduate Scholarship, which gives $5,000 to more than 50 student-athletes who want to pursue a graduate degree each year.

The ACC, in its press release, said it considers the matter closed and would not comment further. When reached by email Sunday night, E.J. Borghetti, a spokesperson for the Athletic Department, declined to comment.