ACC to relocate athletic championships from North Carolina

“The [Chamber] is disappointed to be losing the ACC baseball tournament, however we understand and respect the ACC’s hard decision to move the locations of these championships”, the organization said in a statement. The National Basketball Association recently dropped plans to have its 2017 All-Star game in Charlotte, and the NCAA this week announced its intention to relocate all postseason events outside the state.

“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”, UNC-system President Margaret Spellings said in a statement.

EverBank Field hosts the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars and while the team does have a home contest on Sunday, Dec. 4 against the Denver Broncos, Catlett said the quick turnaround won’t be a concern.

In a statement released Wednesday – two days after the NCAA announced it would be moving its championship events out of North Carolina – the ACC said it would be relocating eight of its own neutral-site championships.

The ACC’s decision means the ACC baseball tournament, which was scheduled to be held next May at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, will be moved. The local visitor’s bureau in Charlotte estimates that the 2015 ACC championship football game had a total economic impact of $32.4 million, reports The Charlotte Observer.

The NCAA’s move came in response to growing pressure over North Carolina’s so-called “Bathroom Bill”, which reversed a Charlotte ordinance that protected transgender people who use public bathrooms based on the gender with which they identify. “We will continue to advocate that North Carolina is a great place to live, do business, hold events and to visit”.

The decision deals yet another blow to North Carolina’s image and its economy following the passage of HB 2.

The decision which followed Monday’s announcement by the NCAA that it would relocate its championship events scheduled for the state, was made during a previously scheduled meeting of the ACC Council of Presidents in Clemson, S.C. ACC Commissioner John Swofford, who advocated for the bill’s repeal in a statement issued Monday, had said in July that the conference would revisit the decision to hold neutral-site championships in North Carolina – specifically, the December 3 conference football championship game at Bank of America stadium in Charlotte – in early October during meetings of the ACC’s athletic directors. “2 is hurting our state every minute that it remains law”, said Chris Sgro, executive director of Equality NC, an advocacy group.

“Gov. McCrory and state lawmakers should work swiftly to repeal HB2 and bring back championship games to North Carolina”, Griffin said.

Regardless of that, the ACC voted to relocate the championships until the state repeals the law.

The decision, which will be in effect for at least the 2016-2017 academic year, comes as a result of North Carolina’s House Bill 2, which was passed in March and has been nationally criticized as a discriminatory law.

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