Lawmakers propose pulling UNC, N.C. State from ACC if conference boycotts state again
A new bill in the North Carolina legislature declares that the ACC went too far in its handling of House Bill 2 and proposes changing state universities' relationship to the conference in the event of another boycott, according to WNCN (CBS North Carolina).
The ACC and NCAA pulled championships out of North Carolina until HB2 was repealed. The controversial bill, colloquially known as the "bathroom bill," was decried as discriminatory to the LGBTQ community. The bill was repealed and replaced at the end of March, and the ACC said it would reconsider hosting conference championships in the state.
The new bill, HB 728, states that if an intercollegiate athletic association boycotts North Carolina, then the University of North Carolina campuses that are a part of that conference would be prohibited from extending the grant of media rights to that conference. As a private school, Duke would not be affected by the new bill.
“We’re taking this seriously and we’re not going to sit back idly and let them do whatever they want to North Carolina,” Republican representative Mark Brody said.
HB2 caused a number of sporting entities and businesses to boycott the state of North Carolina. In addition to the NCAA's actions, the NBA moved its All-Star Game from Charlotte.
