The NCAA, Big 12 and SEC have "expressed concerns" about a proposed religious freedom amendment to the Missouri Constitution and "hinted it could cost Missouri future opportunities to host athletic events," according to Jason Hancock of the K.C. STAR. K.C. Sports Commission President & CEO Kathy Nelson said that the possibility "doesn’t bode well" for the market. Nelson: "Of all years for this to play out, it's playing out in a bid cycle. That’s a major cause for concern. This could impact events held in our city for the next 10 years." Hancock notes the NCAA in '13 awarded K.C. 16 championships through '18, "more than any other city." K.C. in '17 will host the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament, the NCAA D-I Women’s Volleyball Championship, a D-I Men’s Basketball Regional and "numerous soccer championships." The city also will host the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in '17 (K.C. STAR, 3/29).
CAROLINA IN MY MIND: North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory yesterday was asked about concerns voiced by the NCAA and NBA over the state's controversial new law eliminating protections for LGBT individuals, saying that he has "talked to 'many, many' business leaders who say they 'understand' the law once it's explained to them." McCrory: "We’ve clearly stated to them that their (corporate nondiscrimination) policies do not change -- they did not know that based on the press coverage" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 3/29). The Charlotte Observer's Katie Peralta tweeted, "Have reached out to McCrory's office 5X to ask abt "many" businesses they've spoken w/ who support #hb2. no response."
DEAL SAYS NO DEAL: In Atlanta, Jeff Schultz noted Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal yesterday "announced he is going to veto" the state's recently passed "Religious Liberty" bills. Schultz: "Sports can often have a profound impact on the 'real' and political worlds." The final chapter of this debate "wasn’t about 'religious liberty' or 'religious freedom' as much as it was about an individual’s or a team’s or a sports league’s freedom to protest, and how Deal would respond to those protests." Deal’s decision "means there’s a greater likelihood that major sports events and money will flow into Georgia." The veto likely was "made for economic reasons." Schultz: "But it was correct for far more important reasons than that" (AJC.com, 3/28).
NOT TAKING A STAND: In DC, Will Hobson notes Houston’s voters last November "rejected an equal-rights ordinance after a conservative campaign claimed the law permitted male sexual predators to infiltrate women’s bathrooms." Before that vote, civic leaders in Houston "had asked the NCAA to do what it had done months before in Indiana, and what it has done again recently amid similar controversies in Georgia and North Carolina: join a chorus of national corporations and organizations speaking out in a legal dispute involving gay and transgender rights." Sources said that the NCAA "declined the request." As the NCAA’s marquee event "comes to town this week, some Houston leaders are still mystified at the organization’s reluctance" to condemn the bill "before the vote, when it actually could have had an impact" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/29).
