[News] NCAA Moves Championships Out of North Carolina

Discussion of the NCAA's decision to move seven 2016 - 2017 championship events out of NC due to the state's anti LGBTQ laws.

Link to NCAA Press Release

This is a HUGE step, and for once I applaud a decision of the NCAA. The championships that will be relocated include:

  • 2016 Division I Women’s Soccer Championship, College Cup (Cary), Dec. 2 and 4.
  • 2016 Division III Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships (Greensboro), Dec. 2 and 3.
  • 2017 Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, first/second rounds (Greensboro), March 17 and 19.
  • 2017 Division I Women’s Golf Championships, regional (Greenville), May 8-10.
  • 2017 Division III Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships (Cary), May 22-27.
  • 2017 Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship (Cary), May 26 and 28.
  • 2017 Division II Baseball Championship (Cary), May 27-June 3.

Regarding the NCAA's rationale, the following reasons were specified in the release:

  • North Carolina laws invalidate any local law that treats sexual orientation as a protected class or has a purpose to prevent discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individuals.
    North Carolina has the only statewide law that makes it unlawful to use a restroom different from the gender on one’s birth certificate, regardless of gender identity.
  • North Carolina law provides legal protections for government officials to refuse services to the LGBT community.
  • Five states plus numerous cities prohibit travel to North Carolina for public employees and representatives of public institutions, which could include student-athletes and campus athletics staff. These states are New York, Minnesota, Washington, Vermont and Connecticut.

I do find it interesting, however, that while the NCAA has moved these championships, the ACC Football Championship has not been moved from Charlotte.

I can think of two reasons that this may be the case:
1) The championship game is setup by the Atlantic Coast Conference, not the NCAA and/or
2) the city of Charlotte has passed LGBTQ friendly laws, which is one of the reasons that the State passed NC HB2. If either of these is the case, someone should say it publicly, because arguably the most visible and popular event has not been moved from the state.

Interestingly, the ACC includes Syracuse, located in New York and therefore subject to that state's ban on official travel to NC, so it would be interesting to see if (however unlikely) Syracuse were to make it to the football championship, would the team/staff be allowed to travel to the state.

ACC commissioner John Swafford said this last night...

The Commish wrote:

HB2 was previously scheduled to be thoroughly discussed at this week's ACC Council of Presidents meeting, so it would be premature to make any decisions or announcements regarding ACC Championships until our membership is able to discuss.

So, the football championship and other ACC events are still on the table.

NCGOP statement to the NCAA (picture of statement in that tweet)

https://twitter.com/_andrewcarter/st...

karmajay wrote:

NCGOP statement to the NCAA (picture of statement in that tweet)

https://twitter.com/_andrewcarter/st...

Let's post that image so it's on full display because I cannot believe this is real:

IMAGE(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CsMmGsXXgAAf1_n.jpg:large)

That's nuts.

garion333 wrote:
karmajay wrote:

NCGOP statement to the NCAA (picture of statement in that tweet)

https://twitter.com/_andrewcarter/st...

Let's post that image so it's on full display because I cannot believe this is real:

IMAGE(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CsMmGsXXgAAf1_n.jpg:large)

That's nuts.

That is horrifying.

I just... what?

I would figure that an official spokeswoman would use softer language, especially if there was any hope of getting the events back in her state. There are about a million different ways to disagree with what the NCAA has decided without coming across as an asshole. The ridiculous leaps of logic used in this statement would be baffling, if I wasn't used to hearing such crap from many a GOP spokesperson.

McCrory doubled down again today too. He's now saying "this will be decided in the courts" and something about Obama's "government overreach". When he's the one that committed overreach, trying to shut down Charlotte protecting trans rights.

Buffoon. He's going to go down with this bill and get voted out of office.

Stele wrote:

McCrory doubled down again today too. He's now saying "this will be decided in the courts" and something about Obama's "government overreach". When he's the one that committed overreach, trying to shut down Charlotte protecting trans rights.

Buffoon. He's going to go down with this bill and get voted out of office.

I forgot that the NCAA commissioner was an Obama Appointee...

I guess the whole can they ban certain people from bathrooms might be decided in court but even if found legal that doesn't mean the ncaa has to hold tournaments there, or Paypal has to have offices, or musicians have to play there, and on and on.

Here's a slightly less drunk reply from the Lt. Gov:

IMAGE(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CsQTD3mW8AA5Lx7.jpg:large)

Oh brother. Let's parse this nonsense, shall we?

The NCAA's action sends a message to every female athlete and female fan attending their events that their privacy and security in a bathroom, shower or locker room isn't worth the price of a ticket to a ballgame.

Leaving aside the abject stupidity of this (vis a vis equating trans people with "danger"), since when is any GOP actually all that concerned with women's security?

We have seen the NCAA's attitude towards women before when they stood by and did nothing during the rapes at Baylor.

Leaving aside the irony of a GOP group being genuinely concerned about rape, what, exactly, was the NCAA supposed to do? Until the victims began speaking out no one outside of Baylor, including the NCAA, really knew what was happening there. Further, the entities that could do something (Waco PD) were actively not doing things, and helping to keep the situation under wraps. Even when the crimes came to light, how was the NCAA supposed to get involved. This is an organization that just got eviscerated for overstepping their boundaries in their handling of the horrible situation at Penn State, and most of the penalties that they leveled against that school were reversed.

For years, we've seen the NBA turn a blind eye towards women victims of domestic abuse at the hands of their star players. Why should we be surprised now at the NCAA continuing this pattern of discrimination and degradation of women?

What, exactly, does the NBA have to do with this? (Outside of the fact that the NBA has also moved their events). I am sure there is a name for these logical gymnastics. Also, this is right out of the GOP playbook... take your outrageous beliefs and ascribe them to your opponent. The NCAA is discriminatory? Pot, kettle, etc.

The line has now been drawn in the sand, first by Hollywood, now by the NBA and NCAA, either accept their 'progressive sexual agenda' or pay the price.

Ah, a line in the sand, huh? Battle lines are drawn? It says something that they have to put "progressive sexual agenda" in quotes, as if they themselves don't believe their bullsh*t.

North Carolina will not play that game.

Here they are partially correct. North Carolina may not play this "game", but it appears that a lot more games will be played somewhere other than North Carolina. Keep your line in the sand and watch as the rest of the nation moves on without you.

We value our women too much to put a price tag on their heads.

Yeah, instead you use them as political pawns. I would be interested in seeing just what other legislation has come out of the NCGOP that "values" women. I have a feeling that, taken in total, it's not going to look too good for them.

I am sure that some in the NCGOP actually believe that they are doing the right thing here. As with so many other areas in life, the State of North Carolina can do what they wish within the law. They also have to live with the consequences. I am sure that there are members of the NCGOP who have publicly castigated Colin Kapernick for taking a stand, perhaps claiming that he should lose his job because of it. Well, when you choose certain battles to fight, you have to deal with the damage that comes from those battles. I truly wonder if North Carolina has there sh*t together so well that this is the most important hill for the NCGOP to die on.

Abu5217 wrote:

Interestingly, the ACC includes Syracuse, located in New York and therefore subject to that state's ban on official travel to NC, so it would be interesting to see if (however unlikely) Syracuse were to make it to the football championship, would the team/staff be allowed to travel to the state.

The ban is on state-funded 'non-essential' travel. Syracuse is a private school, so I don't think the ban would be relevant to any of their staff.

I suspect North Carolina will be willing to moderate their law a bit after November and this sort of thing from the NCAA isn't a big, it's a feature. The idea is to get yourself "oppressed", so you can talk about Scary Trans People and Obama and "States' Rights", and try to drive people to the polls in a swing state.

So, instead of just bigotry, it's bigotry as a political football. Which is even worse.

absurddoctor wrote:
Abu5217 wrote:

Interestingly, the ACC includes Syracuse, located in New York and therefore subject to that state's ban on official travel to NC, so it would be interesting to see if (however unlikely) Syracuse were to make it to the football championship, would the team/staff be allowed to travel to the state.

The ban is on state-funded 'non-essential' travel. Syracuse is a private school, so I don't think the ban would be relevant to any of their staff.

Ah, yes, of course. I have no idea why I thought they were a state school. Thanks for the correction.

Just got the alert from the ACC that they are doing the same.

Yep, this is a big deal. The Atlantic Coast Conference has long been one with a heavy North Carolina base. It's offices are in Greensboro. The decision to move the conference championship events for 10 sports is huge. Unfortunately, the state has, through it's legislation, hurt it's own interests, as there are undoubtedly many local businesses that have benefited by having the championship events in state through the years. Hopefully the residents of North Carolina will vote in their own best interests and these events can return at some point in the future.

Sports Affected:
Women’s Soccer
Football
Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving
Women’s Basketball
Men’s and Women’s Tennis
Women’s Golf
Men’s Golf
Baseball

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