By Jay Smith |@_smithj_

Sports Capital Journalism Program

HOUSTON — The leadership of the National Collegiate Athletic Association may soon become more assertive in its stance against legislation that discriminates against lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender people.

NCAA President Mark Emmert and University of South Carolina President Harris Pastides, chair of the Division I Board of Directors, said Thursday that the issue could have an impact on the location of future NCAA events.

“We’re trying very hard to be situation-specific,” Emmert said, “to represent the views and values of intercollegiate athletics and higher education aggressively and to make people understand that we think some of these laws are movements in a direction that are not supportive of what we stand for and make it very, very hard, if not impossible, for us to operate in those states or those municipalities.”

Emmert and Pastides were responding to a question about a North Carolina law that does not protect lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender people from discrimination. A year ago, before the Final Four in Indianapolis, Emmert emphasized the association’s concerns over Indiana’s religious freedom law before additional legislation clarified the act.

“I think the membership is inching toward a more proactive stand on this issue,” Pastides said. “It is a consideration for choosing locations for post-season competition. To try to be more proactive is commensurate and compatible with NCAA core values ….

“…I’m sensing among the membership and the board a greater interest in making our viewpoints and values more widely known,” Pastides continued. “How that plays out on Main Street around the 50 states, we’ll have to wait and see. But I think it’s something that is a very, very important issue for us all.”

Emmert emphasized that his criticism of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act last year in Indiana was due in part to the presence of the association’s national office in Indianapolis, where approximately 500 people are employed. Emmert said he has shared his concerns with political leaders in a number of states, including Texas and North Carolina.

“It will most certainly be one of the variables as the committee makes these decisions,” Emmert said of the assignment of future championships. “It simply has to be. It’s simply far too important to all of our member schools.”

The NCAA has several events scheduled to take place in North Carolina in the coming years, with the Division I women’s soccer finals set for December, as well as first-round and second-round men’s basketball tournament games in 2017 and 2018. 

North Carolina coach Roy Williams was hesitant to share his thoughts on the bill.  But he did add that he hopes that it doesn’t put the state “in a bad light in any direction.”  Dean Smith, who led North Carolina to national championships in 1982 and 1993, became recognized as much for his efforts to achieve racial equality in the 1960s as he was for the achievements of his teams.

“I think the University of North Carolina and Roy Williams and our basketball program is about diversity, and always will be,” Williams said. “I hope that we always include everybody involved.”

Emmert also addressed the allegations of academic fraud at North Carolina, which led to an extended investigation. Emmert said he expected that the university would receive a notice of allegations soon.

“The university has been very cooperative, will be at a place where my staff can issue allegations or notice of allegations in the very near future,” Emmert said. “Other than that, it is premature to say when that will occur, but they’re certainly getting to the end of the road on it.”

In response to a question, Emmert declined to state whether he thought daily fantasy contests should be considered gambling, but he did share his thoughts on the companies DraftKings and FanDuel suspending college games from their sites. “It is a very good step forward,” Emmert said.  “We hope collectively we can get colleges, high schools, little leagues, whatever, anything other than professional sports, out of this arena.”

Emmert was also asked about Syracuse’s appearance in the NCAA tournament soon after the university was sanctioned for violations.  Syracuse players had “nothing to do with those [academic fraud] sanctions and they should be allowed to play,” Emmert said.  “The university dealt with those sanctions and this group of young men that are playing right now had nothing to do with any of those violations.”