The NCAA’s decision, announced Monday, came in response to House Bill 2, the state’s “bathroom law” that prevents local governments from passing nondiscrimination ordinances for LGBT people, and bars transgender people from using the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity. Its most controversial provision requires that in publicly owned buildings, individuals use the multi-stall restroom facilities designated for the sex listed on their birth certificate if a single-stall “family” restroom is not available.
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Republican Gov. Pat McCrory and GOP leaders say the law protects the privacy and safety of women and girls.
The 2016-17 events being moved out of North Carolina include the Division I Women’s Soccer Championship in Cary, and first and second round NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament games in Greensboro.
The 17 NCAA Division I women’s finals in North Carolina are more than in any state.
North Carolina’s pain could be Ohio’s gain, if U.S. Sen.
“I had a conversation with John Swofford a few weeks ago and he mentioned and the NCAA mentioned they can’t make exceptions for one city.”, said Vaughan.
“It’s embarrassing for our state that this has happened and what our state has going through”, Duke University Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski said Tuesday, adding “Our image is being tarnished”.
Regarding the September 13 news article “NCAA pulls championship events from North Carolina over HB2”: I submitted the following post to the NCAA’s Facebook page: “Do you people at the NCAA honestly believe that we are going to just give up our long-held moral and religious beliefs for MONEY?” A spokesman with McCrory’s office couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Monday evening, but a spokeswoman with the state Republican party blasted the decision in statement, saying it is “so absurd it’s nearly comical”.
The Greensboro area was expected to receive a $14.5 million infusion from the tournament, as well as $1.6 million from soccer championships in December that are being moved, said Henri Fourrier, CEO of the Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.
It would have been impossible to conduct championship events in the state with that law in place that lived up to the values and expectations of the member universities and colleges..
NCAA President Mark Emmert said the NCAA will determine the new locations for these championships soon.
The NBA also said it will pull the 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte, North Carolina.
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Athletic directors at three of the state’s ACC schools – North Carolina’s Bubba Cunningham, North Carolina State’s Debbie Yow and Wake Forest’s Ron Wellman – issued statements saying they were disappointed at the loss of events. And PayPal reversed plans to open a 400-employee operation center in Charlotte.
