There are only is a lot of pressure on states such as Mississippi and North Carolina who have anti-LGBT and other discriminatory laws. The NCAA added to that pressure last week. They will no longer host any tournaments in those states. Those states can’t even bid on any events. NCAA Board of Governors has voted in favor of prohibiting cities in order to at protecting athletes and fans.
The new regulation will apply across all events in all sports and divisions, including the Final Four contests for men’s and women’s college basketball. Until residents are no longer refused service because of their gender identity or sexual orientation the NCAA will not play in those states.
“We need to make sure our student athletes are competing in venues and competing in states that have an inclusive environment for all of our student athletes, our fans and our coaches. It’s important for us to weigh in on these important issues and make sure that regardless of if our student’s a Division One, Division Two or Division Three athlete, that their championship experience is among the best.” ~Board of Governor’s Chair Kirk Schulz
Places that already have NCAA event scheduled are expected to comply with the ruling. It should be interesting to see how many of them actually comply. The NCAA to it’s credit already prohibits championship events from being hosted by schools whose mascots use offensive American Indian imagery, and in states whose governments display the Confederate flag.
It is very unlikely that professional sport teams or leagues will follow the lead of the NCAA. The NBA is considering moving its 2017 All Star game from Charlotte if North Carolina if it does not overturn an anti-LGBT law. The law prohibits local governments from instituting rules protecting the LGBT community. This will be the first real challenge for NBA commissioner Adam Silver.