ACC pulls all championships out of North Carolina; cites HB2 as reason

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Atlantic Coastal Conference announced Wednesday afternoon it will not hold championships for any of its sports in North Carolina. This includes the ACC championship football game that’s normally held in Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium.

The ACC Football Championship brought in $30.9 million in 2015 and $30.9 million according to the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.

The ACC Council of Presidents cited North Carolina’s controversial bathroom law, House Bill 2, as the reason behind its decision.

House Bill 2 only allows people to use the bathroom of the gender on their birth certificate, not with which they identify.

The ACC said HB2 is inconsistent with its values and will now relocate the championships to neutral sites.

“As members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the ACC Council of Presidents reaffirmed our collective commitment to uphold the values of equality, diversity, inclusion and non-discrimination. Every one of our 15 universities is strongly committed to these values and therefore, we will continue to host ACC Championships at campus sites. We believe North Carolina House Bill 2 is inconsistent with these values, and as a result, we will relocate all neutral site championships for the 2016-17 academic year. All locations will be announced in the future from the conference office.”

Some fans in Charlotte told Channel 9 they're furious politics is getting in the way.

"The ridiculousness of the ACC pulling the game from Charlotte, it hurts," one fan said.

The loss of the ACC championship game will also be a financial blow.

The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority sent Channel 9 new numbers on the economic impact. The report showed the ACC football championship brought in more than $30 million in 2014, with 50,000 visitors. In 2015, that number grew to 54,000 visitors and brought in $32 million.  The CRVA hoped those numbers would be even higher in 2016.

The ACC's decision comes just days after the NCAA decided to pull championship games out of North Carolina.  The NBA also took the 2017 All-Star Game away from Charlotte because of HB2.

"The issue of redefining gender and basic norms of privacy will be resolved in the near future in the United States court system for not only North Carolina, but the entire nation. 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."

Below are statements from leaders on ACC's decision:

“The cancellation of the 2016 ACC Football Championship is a blow to Charlotte’s visitor economy and is irreplaceable at this late date. The event has consistently generated significant economic impact for the city that greatly contributes to our quality of life in Charlotte and in North Carolina and helps sustain thousands of jobs. We’ve proven to be a welcoming host city for these events and hope we’ll have the opportunity to bring the championship back to Charlotte in future years.” – CRVA CEO Tom Murray

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

As we have said many times, UNC institutions do not discriminate on the basis of sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, and we are fully committed to being open and welcoming to individuals of all backgrounds. We remain caught in the middle of this issue and welcome a speedy resolution by the court." - UNC President Margaret Spellings said.

"We are aware of the decision from the Atlantic Coast Conference. Although we are disappointed, we remain steadfast in providing an inclusive environment at Bank of America Stadium. As we stated last summer, after more than 20 years of operations, we undoubtedly have had transgender persons attend events here and, presumably, they have used the restroom of the gender with which they identify. Our organization is against discrimination and has a long history of treating all of our patrons at Bank of America Stadium with dignity and respect.” - Carolina Panthers official statement. 

Cox Media Group