MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher yesterday said that his league "will not hold future championships or meetings" in Indiana following the state's passing of the controversial religious freedom law, according to Brett McMurphy of ESPN.com. Steinbrecher said that the MAC "has its annual presidents meeting in January or February in Indianapolis." Steinbrecher added that he suggested to NCAA President Mark Emmert that the organization "should pull all NCAA events from the state and move the NCAA's offices from Indianapolis" (ESPN.com, 3/31). Ball State AD Mark Sandy, whose school is the only MAC member located in Indiana, said that Steinbrecher's decision "will not impact" the school hosting the conference track and field meet this spring, "as that was already in place before the decision was made." Sandy said, "In the short term, I don't think it affects Ball State in any way." He added, "It's really just time for our athletic department to do the things and work with the things that we can control. Take a step back and see how this all plays out" (Muncie STAR PRESS, 4/1). In Akron, George Thomas notes the MAC currently holds its men's basketball tournament in Cleveland and its football championship in Detroit. The conference "becomes another in a growing list of entities that have vigorously opposed Indiana's new law" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 4/1).
STANDING PAT: In Hartford, Don Amore reports UConn men's basketball coach Kevin Ollie and his assistant coaches "will not travel to Indiana for the Final Four." UConn President Susan Herbst announced the decision last night "in response" to the Indiana law and the "travel ban for State of Connecticut employees" issued by Gov. Dannel Malloy on Monday. Malloy "issued the ban on travel to Indiana for state employees on official business." Many college basketball coaches "go to the Final Four every year to attend the National Association of Basketball Coaches convention and other events in the host city." The NABC convention "runs in Indianapolis from Thursday through Monday." Ollie, who won the championship last season, and his assistants "had planned to attend before Malloy's ban." The travel ban "does not affect" Central Connecticut State Univ. (HARTFORD COURANT, 4/1). Meanwhile, in L.A., Gary Klein reports USC AD Pat Haden, who sits on the CFP selection committee, "will not be" at its meeting this week in Indianapolis. Haden yesterday tweeted, "I am the proud father of a gay son. In his honor, I will not be attending the CFP committee meeting in Indy this week. #EmbraceDiversity." Klein notes Haden is "beginning his second year" on the committee, whose meeting was "scheduled to coincide" with the Final Four (L.A. TIMES, 4/1).
STATEMENT FORTHCOMING? ESPN’s Howard Bryant said sports leagues and organizations are being thrown "right into the center of this, and they’re going to have to decide how political they want to be because they’re going to be part of this whether they want to be or not.” Bryant: “I don’t think they’re going to be able to stand on the sidelines, especially when their players aren’t standing on the sidelines” ("Olbermann," ESPN2, 3/31). In Chicago, David Haugh writes sports "traditionally offer platforms to increase awareness and push for social change." During this weekend's Final Four in Indianapolis, "imagine how powerful a symbolic, anti-discrimination message from all four teams would be received" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/1). But ESPN's Jason Whitlock asked, "You hear that silence? That’s silence from current athletes all over the country who have said nothing about this.” ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser: “I see a lot of people with a lot of T-shirts and a lot of slogans, and I haven’t seen any -- so far -- with this” (“PTI,” ESPN, 3/31).
