Dabo Swinney Trashes State Of College Football Officiating
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Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has been having a rough go of things lately. But this week he decided to direct his anger towards the state of college football officiating.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Swinney lamented the state of the game, pointing out that things are bad enough with the "gambling issues" that have been going on. But he believes that the referees and officials need to take more accountability for when they get calls wrong and need to answer for things more often.
“In the meantime, we got gambling issues going on, people being suspended, all that kind of stuff, right? Yep. I mean, refs are people too. It ain’t just coaches and players. And if they’re a part of the game, then by God, they ought to be a part of the game, and they ought to be a part of the accountability, and they ought to be a part of the consequences, not just behind some shadowy curtain like no, they ought to have to answer for it.”
Dabo Swinney says the state of CFB officiating is a bad system that needs change:
“In the meantime we got gambling issues going on and people are being suspended…refs are people too. If they are a part of the game they ought to be part of the accountability and consequences.” pic.twitter.com/6AMqIIp2VV
— Grayson Mann (@gray_mann21) November 4, 2025
Respect for Dabo
Fans appreciated Swinney having the courage to speak out against the officials like that. Granted, Swinney's remarks likely had more to do with a controversial call in his team's loss to Duke than any strong feelings for the other 130-plus teams, but it's still valid.
"I’ve been waiting for a coach to say this for 12 years. It’s absurd that everyone is accountable except for refs. The league will probably fine him another 100k for it but it’s worth it. No one is allowed to blow games constantly and get away with it except for refs," one user remarked.
"More coaches need to speak up on this. I know it’s not cool to “cry” about the officials but @theACC needs to step up and start holding them accountable. Hell even the SEC suspended the Georgia vs Auburn refs," wrote another.
"Possible solution: each conference pools a significant contribution from the member schools. A bonus pool is setup to reward the best crews at the end of the season. They are graded by coaches and independent retired officials after each game. Nothing is revealed until the end," a third suggested.
"His point is valid. Officials need to be accountable in all sports and conferences. I stand by the fact that they should have a press conference after the game just like players and coaches."
Do you agree with Swinney?
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Nov 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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