On Wednesday, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced it was moving its football championship out of North Carolina because a controversial transgender bill remains law. The tipping point was a law known as HB2, which requires transgender people to use restrooms corresponding to the gender on their birth certificates. It also excludes gender identity and sexual orientation from statewide anti-discrimination protections. “However, we regret today’s decision will negatively affect many North Carolinians, especially in the affected host communities”, the statement read.
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The council had met on Tuesday and Wednesday and voted on Wednesday on whether to remove the league’s neutral-site championships out of North Carolina during this academic year.
In a joint statement, Chancellor Randy Woodson for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Chancellor Carol L, Folt for NC State University, said that they “appreciate the Council of Presidents’ reaffirmation of the ACC’s strong commitment to diversity and inclusion” and the decision to keep ACC championship contests, “on their campuses”. The ACC planned to hold 14 of its 21 championship events in North Carolina this academic year, 10 of them at neutral, off-campus sites and the other four on the campuses of Wake Forest (field hockey), Duke (fencing), North Carolina (softball) and North Carolina State (wrestling).
While the rest of the country was trying to wrap their heads around the NCAA pulling events out of North Carolina Karl Schmitt was already on the phone recruiting them to Kentuckiana. Pat McCrory on March 23.
Williams said the idea of Kennesaw State bidding for the NCAA events has been discussed. The ACC Championship is contracted to be played in Charlotte until 2019, but it’s safe to assume that it will not return as long as HB2 is in place.
This means the conference is now looking for a new home for eight of its championships, including men’s and women’s basketball and football. Camping World Stadium underwent a $207 million renovation two years ago, has a capacity of more than 65,000 and hosted a neutral-site game involving Florida State and Ole Miss on Labor Day night.
“Intercollegiate sports and the ACC are integral parts of North Carolina’s economy and way of life”.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Another North Carolina Republican state senator is urging colleagues to consider repealing a law about LGBT rights that’s caused the NCAA and Atlantic Coast Conference to pull championships from the state this week.
And although the ACC men’s basketball tournament will be played in NY next year, that tournament has only been played outside of North Carolina 12 times since 1954.
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Jacksonville Sports Council CEO Rick Catlett, in a statement to the Times-Union, made it clear the city is interested in hosting several of those events, not just basketball.
