ACC Pulling Championships Out of North Carolina Over HB2

The Atlantic Coast Conference, which is headquartered in Greensboro, is following in the footsteps of the NCAA and removing all previously scheduled neutral-site championship events from North Carolina due to the state’s controversial House Bill 2.

The announcement was made following the ACC Council of Presidents meeting on Wednesday morning.

That will result in 10 championship events being pulled from the Tar Heel state – 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.

The ACC and NCAA are joining the National Basketball Association in opposition to HB2, which advocates maintain is the worst piece of anti-LGBT legislation in the nation. The NBA removed the 2017 All-Star Weekend festivities from Charlotte earlier this summer.

The ACC Council of Presidents released the following statement on the decision to pull the championship events:

“As members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the ACC Council of Presidents reaffirmed our collective commitment to uphold the values of equality, diversity, inclusion and non-discrimination. Every one of our 15 universities is strongly committed to these values and therefore, we will continue to host ACC Championships at campus sites. We believe North Carolina House Bill 2 is inconsistent with these values, and as a result, we will relocate all neutral site championships for the 2016-17 academic year. All locations will be announced in the future from the conference office.”

Clemson President and chair of the ACC Council of Presidents James Clements issued the following statement:

“The ACC presidents engaged in a constructive, wide-ranging and vigorous discussion of this complex issue over the past two days. The decision to move the neutral site championships out of North Carolina while HB 2 remains the law was not an easy one but it is consistent with the shared values of inclusion and non-discrimination at all of our institutions.”

ACC Commissioner John Swofford released the following statement:

“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.”

UNC Chancellor Carol Folt and NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson issued the following statement jointly:

We appreciate the Council of Presidents’ reaffirmation of the ACC’s strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, as well as the decision to keep ACC championship contests on our campuses. However, we regret today’s decision will negatively affect many North Carolinians, especially in the affected host communities.

UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State remain steadfast in our commitment to welcoming and supporting all people. Our policies protect students, faculty and staff from discrimination, regardless of age, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status. As such, we remain dedicated to providing and promoting equal opportunity and non-discrimination to everyone who participates in athletic events on our campuses.

UNC Athletics Director Bubba Cunningham released the following statement:

“Respecting diversity and being an inclusive campus for students, faculty, staff and our guests is paramount at Carolina. The Atlantic Coast Conference shares those aspirations to be fair and welcoming to people of all backgrounds. We have great respect for the NCAA‘s and ACC’s decisions, and are glad that the on-campus championships will remain in place. However, we are disappointed that 10 ACC neutral-site events will be moved out of state because of the negative effects those decisions have on student-athletes, fans and numerous host communities. We are hopeful that these issues are resolved quickly and the championship events are able to return to our state.”

UNC System President Margaret Spellings released the following statement:

We appreciate that the ACC shares our commitment to creating an inclusive atmosphere for all, but we regret that today’s decision will penalize affected host communities and fans throughout the state. Intercollegiate sports and the ACC are integral parts of North Carolina’s economy and way of life.

As we have said many times, UNC institutions do not discriminate on the basis of sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, and we are fully committed to being open and welcoming to individuals of all backgrounds. We remain caught in the middle of this issue and welcome a speedy resolution by the court.

Governor Pat McCrory released the following statement:

“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.”

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Roy Cooper issued the following statement:

I am incredibly disappointed in the news this week — first we lost the NCAA tournament games, and now we’ve lost the ACC championships. It is clear that we cannot wait until November to repeal House Bill 2. This is not just about sports. This is about communities in North Carolina suffering real economic blows. The news this week made it clear that there is no end in sight to the losses we’ll face unless this law is repealed.
Unfortunately, we’ve seen no leadership from our Governor on this issue. He has doubled down on this bad law as our state has taken hit after hit – and he’s not only ignoring the impact on communities, but actively attacking businesses and organizations who dare speak out against HB2. This is not who we are as North Carolinians. And it doesn’t have to go this way.
The solution is simple. Repeal House Bill 2, and do it now.

North Carolina House Speaker Republican Tim Moore released the following statement:

“It is very unfortunate that the NCAA and ACC have decided to move their scheduled events out of North Carolina. No one ever wants to lose events under any circumstances, but these organizations are certainly entitled to host their events wherever they choose. The truth remains that this law was never about and does not promote discrimination. We will continue to advocate that North Carolina is a great place to live, do business, hold events and to visit.”