The governing board for USA college athletics said on Monday it will move seven championship sporting events out of North Carolina to protest a state law it deems discriminatory to transgender individuals.
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The NCAA also pointed to North Carolina statutes that it said override local laws created to prevent discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association, the governing board of collegiate sports, earlier this year announced a rule that requires any city that wants to host an NCAA event to be “free of discrimination”. “We believe in providing a safe and respectful environment at our events and are committed to providing the best experience possible for college athletes, fans and everyone taking part in our championships”.
‘The NCAA just sent a clear message to North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory and state lawmakers that it will not tolerate hateful laws targeting student athletes, fans, and employees, ‘ said HRC President Chad Griffin in a statement.
“Our women and girls in the state of North Carolina are not for sale”, North Carolina Lt. Governor Dan Forest told reporters.
The group said it would continue to evaluate locations for future events, which will be required to provide information about local anti-discrimination laws.
Losing the NCAA men’s basketball tournament games, which Greensboro was supposed to host in 2017, will particularly sting for many residents of North Carolina.
The college sports organization said that HB2, which prevents transgender people from using bathrooms and changing rooms matching their gender identity, did not reflect their values of “fairness and inclusion”.
While the NCAA will move seven championships, the 2016 ACC football championship is still set to take place in Charlotte.
“I wish the NCAA was this concerned about the women who were raped at Baylor”, spokeswoman Kami Mueller said Monday night. Also affected are the Division I women’s soccer, golf and lacrosse championships, along with the Division II men’s and women’s soccer and tennis championships and the Division II baseball championship.
The NCAA said it will relocate the men’s basketball first- and second-round games that were scheduled for March 17 and 19 in Greensboro. Duke AD Kevin White went further, saying the school agreed with the NCAA’s decision.
North Carolina is facing more backlash for House Bill 2.
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Five states: New York, Connecticut, Minnesota, Washington and Vermont all have issued state-sponsored bans on travel to North Carolina. The NBA moved its 2017 All-Star Game to New Orleans instead of hosting it in Charlotte as originally scheduled because of the law. “Enough ― we need to repeal this law and get our state back on track”.
