ACC's championship relocations affect North Carolina communities

Outside of events hosted on campus sites, there will be no Division-I postseason in North Carolina this academic year.

On Wednesday, the Atlantic Coast Conference relocated all neutral-site championships from the state because of House Bill 2 — two days after the NCAA elected to move its seven championship events in North Carolina to other locations.

“The ACC presidents engaged in a constructive, wide-ranging and vigorous discussion of this complex issue over the past two days,” said James Clements, chairperson of the ACC Council of Presidents.

“The decision to move the neutral-site championships out of North Carolina while HB2 remains the law was not an easy one, but it is consistent with the shared values of inclusion and non-discrimination at all of our institutions.”

The conference will move 10 championship events out of North Carolina, including four from Greensboro and three from Cary. The football championship game in Charlotte, the baseball tournament in Durham and the men’s golf tournament in New London will also be relocated.

“We appreciate that the ACC shares our commitment to creating an inclusive atmosphere for all, but we regret that today’s decision will penalize affected host communities and fans throughout the state,” UNC-system President Margaret Spellings said in a statement.

“Intercollegiate sports and the ACC are integral parts of North Carolina’s economy and way of life.”

Concerns about the economic impact of HB2 have been raised as businesses, entertainers and sports organizations have pulled commercial investments from North Carolina in opposition of the law.

Ben Graumann, spokesperson for Equality NC, said the decisions from the ACC and NCAA to relocate championship events aren’t surprising, given the two organizations’ commitment to protecting fans and players.

“This is just another voice in the really big chorus now of voices against HB2,” he said. “And honestly, I think it’s going to continue if HB2 is not repealed.”

On Wednesday, Gov. Pat McCrory — who signed HB2 into law on March 23 — said the battle over the law should be resolved in the courts, not through economic protests.

“I strongly encourage all public and private institutions to both respect and allow our nation’s judicial system to proceed without economic threats or political retaliation toward the 22 states that are currently challenging government overreach,” he said in a statement.

Roy Cooper, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, blamed McCrory’s leadership for organizations like the ACC and NCAA pulling their economic interests from the state.

“This is not just about sports,” he said in a video statement Wednesday. “This is about communities in North Carolina suffering real economic blows.”

The city of Charlotte will watch the ACC Football Championship from afar for the first time since 2010, after also losing the NBA All-Star Game in July.

The conference title game opened in Jacksonville in 2005 and was played in Tampa, Florida from 2008-2009 before moving to Bank of America Stadium — where it has remained for the past six seasons.

“I hate it for the state of North Carolina,” said Larry Fedora, UNC’s football coach. “And I hate it for the people of Charlotte.”

The ACC Baseball Tournament will move from North Carolina for the first time since 2009. The men’s basketball tournament, typically played in Greensboro, will be hosted in Brooklyn as previously scheduled.

State and National Assistant Editor Kent McDonald contributed reporting.

@CJacksonCowart

sports@dailytarheel.com