NCAA President Mark Emmert "expressed concern Thursday about Indiana's 'religious freedom' law, saying the Indianapolis-based group would examine 'how it might affect future events as well as our workforce,'" according to Mark Alesia of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. Emmert: "We will work diligently to assure student-athletes competing in, and visitors attending, next week's men's Final Four in Indianapolis are not impacted negatively by this bill. Moving forward, we intend to closely examine the implications of this bill and how it might affect future events as well as our workforce." Alesia notes after this year's men's Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis is "scheduled to be host for the women's Final Four next year." The city also "has been awarded early-round men's tournament games" in '17 and the men's Final Four in '21. An online petition at Change.org "wants to move the Big Ten Football Championship out of Indianapolis" in the wake of the new law. The game is "scheduled to be played at Lucas Oil Stadium" through '21. The NCAA "has a history of using its power to take stances on social issues." The NCAA last year "opposed a proposed amendment to the Indiana Constitution that said marriage could only be between one man and one woman" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 3/27). The AP's Ralph Russo noted the law "would prohibit state and local laws that 'substantially burden' the ability of people -- including businesses and associations -- to follow their religious beliefs." The LGBT Sports Coalition called for the NCAA, the Big Ten, the NFL, USA Diving and USA Gymnastics to "pull events from Indianapolis over the next 16 months" (AP, 3/26). The AP noted similar laws are "on the books in 19 states," and at least 10 other states "have introduced similar proposals." The NCAA "has been a mainstay in downtown Indianapolis" since moving from K.C. in '99 (AP, 3/26).
PACK YOUR BAGS: USA TODAY's Nancy Armour writes it is "too late to pull this year's Final Four from Indianapolis," but the NCAA "can -- and should -- tell Indiana lawmakers that their prejudice and mean-spiritedness has cost the state the privilege of hosting any other collegiate sporting event." Armour: "The 2016 women's Final Four currently scheduled to be held in Indianapolis? Not anymore. The early-round games for the men's tournament that Indianapolis is looking forward to hosting in 2017? They'll be moved somewhere else." The NCAA "ought to tell" Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and "his lunatic-fringe lawmakers that it no longer feels at home in Indiana and will look at moving its headquarters from Indianapolis" (USA TODAY, 3/27). GRANTLAND's Charles Pierce writes what Pence did in passing the bill on Thursday is guarantee next week's Final Four "is going to be a shit show of the very first order." Pierce: "Pence couldn't have waited two weeks before bringing the circus to town?" Meanwhile, he writes even Emmert "bestirred himself to say the right thing," and when someone has "ceded the moral high ground to the NCAA, you have drifted far from the pack indeed" (GRANTLAND.com, 3/27).
NFL SHOULD STEP UP: In New Orleans, Jeff Duncan writes NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell "needs to call an all-out blitz on Indiana" and use its "considerable power to reverse such out-of-touch discriminatory practices." This is "one time when sports should huddle with politics." The league "needs to hold Indiana's feet to the fire," and one way to do that is to ban Indianapolis "from future Super Bowl bids." Duncan: "While they're at it, they should pull their participation in the NFL Scouting Combine, which has been held annually in Indianapolis since 1987. Better yet, they should threaten to move the popular event to another city" (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 3/27).
