The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) on
Wednesday announced that it was moving some of its championships out
of North Carolina over the state's law that targets the LGBT
community.
In a statement, the ACC Council of
Presidents said that it would relocate all neutral site championships
over House Bill 2.
“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,” the ACC said in a statement.
Commissioner John Swofford called the
decision “one of principle.”
“Hopefully, there will be
opportunities beyond 2016-17 for North Carolina neutral sites to be
awarded championships,” he said.
The announcement comes just days after
the NCAA pulled its championships out of the state because of House
Bill 2, the nation's only state law that prohibits transgender people
from using the bathroom of their choice in government buildings,
including schools. HB2 also blocks cities and municipalities from
enacting measures that prohibit discrimination against the LGBT
community.
(Related: Pat
McCrory: NCAA move over anti-gay law disrespects student athletes,
workers.)
The NBA also moved its All-Star Game
from Charlotte to New Orleans over the same issue.
Wednesday's decision affects eight
championships, including the 2016 ACC Football Championship Game
originally scheduled to be held in Charlotte.