Charlotte may end up losing the ACC championship game, but it won’t be at the behest of the NCAA.
The NCAA announced Monday night that it is pulling seven of its championships from the state of North Carolina because of the controversial House Bill 2 (HB2), a law which some claim fosters discrimination against members of the LGBT communities. The highest-profile events to be moved out of the state are the men’s basketball first- and second-round games that had been scheduled to be played next March in Greensboro.
When it comes to comes to the ACC’s football championship game held annually in Charlotte, that will be left up to the conference’s discretion.Mark Emmert on the ACC, and other conferences, holding events in North Carolina:
“That’s going to be completely up to the conferences.”
— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoAP) September 13, 2016
Based on a strongly-worded statement from the league’s commissioner last night, however, the title game might not be long for the North Carolina city as long as HB2 remains in effect.
“The decision by the NCAA Board of Governors to relocate all current, and not award any future, NCAA Championship sites in the state of North Carolina continues to build upon the negative impact this bill has already had on the state,” John Swofford’s statement began. “HB2 was previously scheduled to be thoroughly discussed at this week’s ACC Council of Presidents meeting, so it would be premature to make any decisions or announcements regarding ACC Championships until our membership is able to discuss. The league’s longstanding commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion will continue to be a central theme to our discussions.
“On a personal note, it’s time for this bill to be repealed as it’s counter to basic human rights.”
Charlotte has played host to the ACC football championship game since 2010, and is contractually tied to the conference through the 2019 season. Prior to 2010, the first three were played in Jacksonville and the next two in Tampa.
Orlando and Atlanta were also considered as options to host the title game.