The same week the NCAA pulled all its 2016-17 neutral-site games from North Carolina because of the state’s anti-LGBT law known as HB2, Sen. Bob Casey wrote a letter urging the collegiate athletic association to consider Pennsylvania as a host.
“Pennsylvania is proud of its diversity across the commonwealth,” the Scranton Democrat wrote in the Sept. 15 letter, which was addressed to Mark Emmert, president of the NCAA. “We strive to achieve equality for the people who both reside and visit the commonwealth regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or sexual identification.”
“I certainly wish it was a letter nobody had to write,” Casey told PGN this week. “If the state government in North Carolina had done the right thing, nobody would have to write a letter suggesting alternate locations.”
HB2 prevents local municipalities from passing LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination laws. It also requires people to use the restroom that matches the gender on their birth certificates.
Casey said Pennsylvania “on most days is both more tolerant and more accepting than what the state government in North Carolina displayed.”
He did not lobby for specific municipalities to host NCAA events from basketball, soccer and baseball to golf, lacrosse and tennis. But he surmised that Pennsylvania’s 37 municipalities with LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination laws, including Philadelphia, could “certainly be high on the priority list.”
In a statement explaining the NCAA’s decision to move games not decided by home-field advantage out of North Carolina, Emmert said, “Fairness is about more than the opportunity to participate in college sports, or even compete for championships. We believe in providing a safe and respectful environment at our events.”
Casey noted in his letter that Pennsylvania has successfully hosted big events and sports tournaments. From Philadelphia, the highlights included the Papal Visit and the Democratic National Convention. As far as sports in the region, Casey noted the Dad Vail Regatta and Penn Relays.
He told PGN Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have also hosted regional NCAA basketball tournament games.
“If you don’t ask, they may not come,” Casey said. “I think we stand as good a chance as any.”
Scoring some NCAA events would be a financial boon for any host city. It could also push the conversation forward on LGBT nondiscrimination laws in Pennsylvania and nationally.
“Sometimes a high profile athletic competition can be a highlighting feature for an issue of public policy,” Casey said, noting, “We should not send the signal that our state has a perfect record, either. We still have work to do. We should strive to be consistent with our founder’s history. William Penn was looking for a tolerant settlement.”
Back in April, Philadelphia City Council passed a resolution inviting to the city PayPal and other companies that felt they had to scrap expansion plans in North Carolina because of its anti-LGBT law. The Commerce Department reached out to a number of companies over the spring. No new businesses have yet come to Philadelphia as a result.
Casey said his office did not write a letter to any companies about relocating to Pennsylvania. He said the process is more complicated when wooing permanent employers to a state, but he added Pennsylvania offers an open invitation to any organization seeking an inclusive environment.
Championships leaving North Carolina
The NCAA will relocate seven previously awarded championship events from North Carolina during the 2016-17 academic year. They include:
- 2016 Division I Women’s Soccer Championship, College Cup, Dec. 2 and 4
- 2016 Division III Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships, Dec. 2 and 3
- 2017 Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, first and second rounds, March 17 and 19
- 2017 Division I Women’s Golf Championships, regional, May 8-10
- 2017 Division III Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships, May 22-27
- 2017 Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship, May 26 and 28
- 2017 Division II Baseball Championship, May 27-June 3
Source: NCAA