North Carolina loses ACC athletic championships over “bathroom law”
CLEMSON, S.C. - The Atlantic Coast Conference has followed the NCAA and NBA’s lead and is removing premiere athletic events from North Carolina over the state’s so-called “bathroom law” that some say can lead to discrimination against LGBT people.
The decision includes the removal all upcoming conference championships for the 2016-2017 academic year.
The ACC Council of Presidents voted Wednesday to relocate the league’s championships until North Carolina repeals the law. The decision includes all championship this academic school year, which means relocating the ACC football title game that was scheduled to be played in Charlotte in December.
ACC Commissioner John Swofford said: “The ACC Council of Presidents made it clear that the core values of this league are of the utmost importance, and the opposition to any form of discrimination is paramount. Today’s decision is one of principle, and while this decision is the right one, we recognize there will be individuals and communities that are supportive of our values as well as our championship sites that will be negatively affected. Hopefully, there will be opportunities beyond 2016-17 for North Carolina neutral sites to be awarded championships.”
CBSSports.com’s Chip Patterson reports the law, which Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski called “embarrassing,” has also led to non-sports cancellation, including a Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam concerts.
On Monday, the NCAA said it was relocating seven of its championships scheduled to be played in the state, including the men’s basketball first- and second-round matchups scheduled for next March in Greensboro, North Carolina.
On “CBS This Morning,” Tuesday, NCAA President Mark Emmert said the decision of the board – made up of 16 college and university presidents -- was a “no brainer.”
“The reason the university presidents reached this conclusion… is because this is about sports that are conducted in the context of universities that are trying to reflect the values of higher education in America -- inclusion, fairness, treating all of your student athletes, the coaches, their fans in a way that reflects those values in our championships,” Emmert said. “That’s what matters most.”
North Carolina’s legislative move prompted a raft of protest, including by corporations. PayPal canceled its plan to open a global operations center in Charlotte, that would have employed more than 400 people, while Apple, Google, American Airlines and Bank of America (headquartered in Charlotte) have all called for the law’s repeal.
N.C. Governor Pat McCrory responded late Wednesday:
“The issue of redefining gender and basic norms of privacy will be resolved in the near future in the United States court system for not only North Carolina, but the entire nation. I strongly encourage all public and private institutions to both respect and allow our nation’s judicial system to proceed without economic threats or political retaliation toward the 22 states that are currently challenging government overreach.”