On Wednesday, the Atlantic Coast Conference piled on, further punishing the state by removing eight ACC championship events, including the conference football title game, which was to be played at Bank of America Stadium on December 3.
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“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”, Taylor said in a statement. “As it relates to the ACC football championship, our friends at Florida Citrus Sports will handle those discussions directly”. But the hurt will be felt most by Greensboro, the ACC’s headquarters and where the majority of its tournaments have typically taken place since the 1950s.
The championship games being moved to other locations include 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 and Baseball. He says looking at their favorable tax position “is an avenue we intend to explore”, but didn’t give details. The North Carolina Republican Party called the NCAA’s move “so absurd it’s nearly comical” and has defended HB2 as a measure necessary for privacy and safety, particularly in women’s restrooms.
The ACC and NCAA chose to take away championships because of House Bill 2, which in part stops local governments from passing broad ordinances protecting sexual orientation and gender identity. A statement from the ACC said the league office would announce new venues in the future.
The ACC Council of Presidents voted Wednesday to relocate the league’s championships until North Carolina repeals the law.
ACC follows NCAA’s footsteps in response to North Carolina’s controversial HB2 law.
Swofford said the league is still in the early stages of identifying replacement sites. The NBA moved its 2017 All-Star game out of Charlotte, and entertainers such as Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam and Ringo Starr have canceled shows in North Carolina. “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 removal of the Confederate battle flag from Statehouse grounds in Columbia previous year opened the way for SC to host NCAA predetermined championship events.
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NCAA VP/Men’s Basketball Championships Dan Gavitt told reporters the men’s basketball committee will have “an expedited two-week bid process” from potential cities for the games that have been set for Greensboro, with a final decision made by the middle of next month. 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).
