Outward

NCAA Says Cities and States That Discriminate Can’t Host Tournaments

As long as HB2 remains on the books, this logo probably won’t be seen on a North Carolina court.

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

In recent years, the NCAA has been a surprisingly effective force in fighting anti-LGBTQ discrimination. In 2015, when Indiana passed the anti-gay Religious Freedom Restoration Act, one of the factors that led to the state’s legislature enacting a quick (if inadequate) fix was a statement from the NCAA, which came a week before a huge sporting event was held in the state. It said: “We are … concerned about how this legislation could affect our student-athletes and employees.” (The organization drew criticism when it did not move the 2016 men’s tournament from Houston after that city’s voters rejected a nondiscrimination law in November 2015, though it did warn the vote “could impact the NCAA returning to Houston for a future Final Four.”)

Now the NCAA has made its commitment to nondiscrimination even more explicit by setting new requirements for cities that wish to host NCAA events, including the men’s and women’s Final Four basketball tournaments, which draw thousands of visitors. At its quarterly meeting, held earlier this week, the NCAA Board of Governors adopted a policy that will require potential hosts “to demonstrate how they will provide an environment that is safe, healthy, and free of discrimination, plus safeguards the dignity of everyone involved in the event.”

As ThinkProgress noted, the new policy “could have a serious impact on North Carolina, which is scheduled to host NCAA tournament games in both 2017 and 2018” in light of that state’s recently enacted and controversial anti-LGBTQ law. HB2 nullified local LGBT nondiscrimination ordinances and forbids trans people from using the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity in any government building. Mississippi’s new LGBT segregation statute will also put that state out of contention for NCAA tournaments.

The NCAA already prohibits states that fly the Confederate battle flag from hosting “neutral-site championships” (that is to say, tournament championships), and it does not allow schools that use “abusive or offensive” Native American imagery or mascots to host.

There are many terrible things about the NCAA, but it’s great to see an organization that holds so much sway in states like North Carolina use its power for good.