(02-06-2017 07:31 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote: First, please don't debate whether so-called "bathroom bills" are right or wrong, or if California is right/wrong on prohibiting travel to these states. I don't want this thread to end up in the Spin Room. I want to discuss how this affects college sports.
California has banned any "STATE-FUNDED AND STATE-SPONSORED TRAVEL" to states with transgender bathroom bills. I have confirmed that this includes any travel by any university representative that will be reimbursed by any source affiliated with the university (including the endowment or other private donors arranged through the school). To my knowledge, this includes the sports team of any state-sponsored university.
As of now, the list of banned states is Tennessee, Kansas, Mississippi, and North Carolina. Also, a dozen more states (including Washington and Wyoming) have introduced "bathroom bills" to their legislatures this year.
If Washington or Wyoming pass their bathroom bills, this means that conference games will have to be canceled for Cal & UCLA or for San Diego State, Fresno State, and San Jose State. Could this cause more conference reallignment? Or will the state schools in Washington/Wyoming (or whoever else passes a bathroom bill) abandon their right to home conference games?
I hope everyone keeps it civil.
I think people might do well to understand that the legislation in California and NY only addresses localities where they've passed a bill that is anti-LGBT. They haven't (yet) passed bills banning to places where no protections ever existed. If California or NY or Mass did that, then the real chaos would ensue.
This could cause more conference realignment.
The Pac12 - will be fine so long as none of their states pass anti-LGBT bills. This looks unlikely at this point.
The ACC - does NOT have a problem at this time as they currently have no PUBLIC institutions covered by these bills
The CAA - has a big problem.
The Atlantic 10 - MIGHT have a problem if Rhode Island or Mass pass similar legislation banning travel to states with anti-LGBT bills.
The AAC - MIGHT have a problem if CT follows NY.
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So long as its just one or two states that are unable to host, most conferences and sporting events can just move around them. Ok, CT passes the same bill...then ECU and Uconn just don't play. And NC doesn't get to host anything. For teams like UNC or Duke, plenty of teams will want to play them OOC. I'm seeing the smaller schools paying the biggest price for this. Schools like Elon, Gardner-Webb, and App. These schools will find getting OOC games at home much harder to find and might have issues with football scheduling as well.
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One final note.
At least one of Wyoming's anti-LGBT bills died this week. I'd be VERY surprised if the Dems passed a bill like NC's in Washington state. At least one of the three Alabama bills is dead. Someone will decide to pass a bill. But it might allow for cities and counties to pass their own ordinances mitigating it.
I'm watching Texas right now.