“The ACC’s decision to pull its championships from North Carolina is yet another win for the LGBT community and is an acknowledgement that athletic championships should only be awarded to those states and cities that champion LGBT equality”, said Hudson Taylor, executive director of LGBT rights group Athlete Ally in a statement.
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Outside of events hosted on campus sites, there will be no Division-I postseason in North Carolina this academic year.
Indianapolis hosts large many NCAA events, and Evansville, Fort Wayne, South Bend and Bloomington are among other Hoosier cities that have been or would be logical choices as host sites. Events scheduled to take place on campus sites in North Carolina, whether now scheduled or not, will be allowed to remain at their location. UNC System president Margaret Spellings said state institutions are welcoming to all and don’t discriminate based on sex, sexual orientation or gender identity. HB2 was signed into law this year by Gov. Pat McCrory have defended the law robustly.
He said internal discussions took place Tuesday, and additional meetings had been scheduled for later this week, but no decision on submitting a bid has been made. I genuinely look forward to the NCAA merging all men’s and women’s teams together as singular, unified, unisex teams. “And honestly, I think it’s going to continue if HB2 is not repealed”. “A hard one in ways, but an easy one in ways considering the principles involved”, he said.
Swofford said identifying replacement venues is in the early stages, but he hopes to get them lined up as quickly as possible. The ACC has a working relationship with both stadiums in Tampa and Orlando. The championship game’s been played at Bank of America Stadium the past six seasons with an average attendance of 69,641. “It’s a challenge, our next challenge”.
Football is not the only sport affected.
As the NCAA and ACC prepare to move seven championship events out of North Carolina the Tar Heel State’s loss could be Kentuckiana’s gain.
The written statement issued from the ACC Council of Presidents regarding the conference’s action represented a united opinion and voice.
Moreover, businesses have scrapped expansion plans in North Carolina, and entertainers have cancelled shows.
Overall the move is expected to lose the state of North Carolina at least $30 million.
The announcement follows the NBA’s decision in July to move the 2017 All-Star game out of the state, and the NCAA’s announcement Monday that it would relocate championship games planned for the 2016-2017 season out of the state.
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North Carolina’s law has made the state a focal point in the US battle over transgender rights, and the fallout since its passage by the Republican-led legislature continues to build. And PayPal reversed plans to open a 400-employee operation center in Charlotte.
