The Atlantic Coast Conference believed it had put the matter to rest with a short statement and a public reprimand. Instead, its handling of Notre Dame head coach Micah Shrewsberry’s postgame outburst after the Fighting Irish’s 72-71 loss to the California Golden Bears has only fueled a larger debate among the fans.

Just a few hours after coach Shrewsberry charged toward an official in frustration, the ACC announced it had issued a public reprimand and considered the matter closed. No suspension. No fine. Just a warning.

“(Micah Shrewsberry) aggressively confronted a member of the officiating crew following the game. The unsportsmanlike behavior that was displayed is unacceptable and tarnishes the on-court play between these institutions. The ACC considers this matter closed and will have no further comment,” they said in the statement.

The incident occurred in the closing seconds of the matchup, with the Fighting Irish leading by three points. With 9.6 seconds left on the clock, the ball was in the possession of Cal guard Dai Dai Ames, as he rushed towards the other side of the court. The Irishmen attempted to foul him to prevent a game-tying three, but Ames still scored, tying the game at 71-71.

But the controversy began when a foul was called after Ames took the shot. Replays showed Ames being contacted at least twice before he gathered for the shot, first on the half-court line and then once again before Ames got in the position to take his shot, but no whistle was blown until he was in the air.

The officials initially ruled the basket good, then changed the call and said the foul occurred before the shot, before reversing themselves again and counting the three, awarding the Golden Bears guard a free throw and giving them the opportunity for a four-point play that put California ahead for good.

As the buzzers went off and the Golden Bears secured the win, coach Micah Shrewsberry charged towards the referee in anger. However, he was held back by his players and staff members before he could get to the official, Adam Flore.

While the coach refused to talk to the press after the game, he issued a full apology, acknowledging his actions crossed a line.

“My actions were inappropriate and not symbolic of the leader I strive to be and what Notre Dame expects of its coaches and educators. I will learn from this lack of judgment and be better in the future. I want to apologize to our team, our University and its leaders, to Coach Madsen and his team, and to the ACC, as my actions were unacceptable,” he said.

However, while the conference made it clear that it would not escalate the situation further, many fans felt the conference left out the most important part of the story.

ACC faces backlash for ignoring officiating errors in Micah Shrewsberry case

As the conference closed the book on the coach’s actions, many fans felt that the officiating decision had triggered the outburst in the first place. Across social media, the reprimand was viewed less as accountability for the poor officiating and more as a deflection from the lack of explanation or acknowledgment of the late-game call that swung the result.

“The ACC officiating did more to tarnish anything that Shrews’ reaction did. Not saying this reprimand is wrong, but we need to see these officials receive some sort of accountability as well,” one fan wrote. While another added, “Where’s their public reprimand of the refs?”

During these final seconds of the game, ESPN’s Probabilities & Game Flow chart predicted a 89.9% chance of victory for the Fighting Irish. However, what unfolded changed the direction of the outcome.

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While the Irishmen got possession of the ball back with 5.5 seconds on the clock, they tried their best to convert a shot, as Braeden Shrewsberry attempted a highly contested three, but fell short.

Furthermore, one fan wrote, “These officials need to be on the podium after games. That ref should have to explain himself and then be held accountable. There is too much money in sports for them to get away with how bad they are at times, and they are bad more often than not.” Another fan said, “Now let’s get a public reprimand for Adam Flore the ref! He needs to be held accountable just as much.”

Officiating has increasingly become a point of criticism across the sport, with coaches, players, and fans voicing frustration over inconsistent calls and a perceived lack of accountability for officials.

While postgame reports and internal evaluations exist, they are rarely made public, leaving little transparency when controversial decisions have a direct impact on outcomes.

As a result, moments like Notre Dame’s loss at Cal tend to amplify a broader concern where the officials face few visible consequences, even when high-impact calls or reversals dominate the narrative of a game. With this game, the Fighting Irish are now 10-5 in the season.

At the same time, not all fans felt the ACC’s punishment went far enough. Some believed Micah Shrewsberry’s actions warranted more than a reprimand.

A fan said, “That’s all he’s getting? He should at minimum have a fine and a suspension.” Another added, “ACC not supporting the officials isn’t a good look. Coach needed suspended.”

For their next game in the 2025-26 NCAA conference play, the Fighting Irish will face off against the Clemson Tigers on January 10th at Purcell Pavilion, which has been predicted to be in favor of the Tigers.