The NCAA will allow games to be played in North Carolina after the state repealed and replaced its controversial bathroom bill.
The NCAA Board of Governors said in a statement Tuesday morning that the legislation passed is “far from perfect,” but championship events will return to the state.
“In the end, a majority on the NCAA Board of Governors reluctantly voted to allow consideration of championship bids in North Carolina by our committees that are presently meeting. The NCAA championships previously awarded to North Carolina for 2017-18 will remain in the state,” the statement reads.
Now, NCAA men’s first- and second-round tournament games will be held in Charlotte as previously scheduled in March 2018. The NCAA is also looking at awarding its championship events through 2022.
The NCAA had moved the 2017 first- and second-round games from Greensboro, N.C., to Greenville, S.C., because of House Bill 2, the controversial legislation passed roughly a year ago that mandated transgender individuals use the bathroom facility that corresponded with their birth gender.
Last week, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed HB142 into law to replace HB2. The law prevents local state governments from further enacting rules on restroom facilities unless it’s “in accordance with an act of the General Assembly.”
However the LGBTQ community criticized the legislation, which puts a moratorium on localities from enacting new anti-discrimination ordinances only until 2020.
Those groups were quick to condemn the NCAA on Tuesday, too.
“The NCAA’s decision to backtrack on their vow to protect LGBTQ players, employees and fans is deeply disappointing and puts people at risk,” said Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign. “After drawing a line in the sand and calling for repeal of HB2, the NCAA simply let North Carolina lawmakers off the hook.”
