The Stanford Cardinal and Pittsburgh Panthers play in the men's ACC Tournament. Credit: ACC Network; ESPN Credit: ACC Network; ESPN
By Matt Clapp on

The free-throw distractions from college basketball crowds have gotten very creative in recent years, but somebody at the 2026 ACC Tournament has taken things to a new level.

During the first round of Tuesday’s ACC Tournament game between the Stanford Cardinal and Pittsburgh Panthers in Charlotte, somebody in the crowd could be heard singing 1990s alternative rock songs. It must have been a Pitt fan, with the singing occurring during Stanford’s free throws.

How is a free-throw shooter supposed to concentrate when some guy is loudly singing the Goo Goo Dolls’ 1998 hit “Iris”?

“Okorie hits the free throw despite the presence of the really loud guy singing Goo Goo Dolls behind us,” ESPN play-by-play announcer Kevin Brown said on the ACC Network broadcast. “I’m sure that didn’t throw him off.”

Later, a Stanford free-throw shooter had to focus while being serenaded by the fan’s rendition of the Creed 1999 single”Higher” (a favorite of the 2023 World Series champion Texas Rangers).

And the sounds of The Cranberries’ 1993 masterpiece “Linger” inevitably led to a brick on a Stanford free-throw attempt.

Pitt came away with a buzzer-beating 64-63 win.

The Panthers advance to the second round of the ACC Tournament to face the NC State Wolfpack on Wednesday. NC State had better be prepared to keep their focus strong at the charity stripe when some guy starts singing R.E.M. or Soul Asylum.

About Matt Clapp

Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.

He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.

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