This story was updated on April 15 to include comments from the CAA commissioner.
Six months removed from the NCAA banning collegiate championship events from the state of North Carolina, the NCAA has lifted its ban following the repeal of House Bill 2.CQ MS
HB2, or better known as the "Bathroom Bill," required those who identify as transgender to use the bathroom in public facilities that align with their gender assigned at birth. The bill has caused controversy not only in the state of North Carolina, but nationwide as well.
The new governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper, helped repeal the bill after the NCAA threatened to continue its boycott of games in North Carolina through 2022.
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), headquartered in Greensboro, and the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) both removed their championship events from the state amid the NCAA’s stance in September. This was headlined, more notably, when the ACC football and basketball championships were removed from both Charlotte and Greensboro.
In a statement issued on April 4, the NCAA says, "We are actively determining site selections, and this new law has minimally achieved a situation where we believe NCAA championships may be conducted in a nondiscriminatory environment. If we find that our expectations of a discrimination-free environment are not met, we will not hesitate to take necessary action at any time." The statement also said that NCAA championships during the 2017-18 year that were previously awarded to the state of North Carolina will remain in the state.
“The CAA does not have a specific response at the present time to the actual repeal [of HB2],” said commissioner of the CAA Joe D’Antonio. “We will be looking at our positioning as it relates to the academic year 2017-2018 and beyond when we meet with our presidents and athletic directors in upcoming summer meetings.”
When asked whether or not Schar Convocation Center would be considered as a site for future CAA Championships once it is completed, D’Antonio said, “we need to determine what the conference policies are going to be moving forward before I can answer a question as to what sights are being considered or not being considered.”
Summer meetings for the CAA are scheduled for the beginning and end of June.