Days after saying he was “especially concerned” about the effects a controversial new Indiana law might have, NCAA president Mark Emmert again spoke out against the religious freedom legislation Gov. Mike Pence (R) signed into law last week.
Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act has come under criticism for potentially allowing businesses to discriminate against LGBT people. That has led to calls for the NCAA to move this week’s men’s basketball Final Four out of Indianapolis. The NCAA won’t do that, but Emmert left the door open for changes to the 2016 women’s Final Four, which is also scheduled to be played in the state’s capital.
“We’re going to have to sit down and make judgments about whether or not (the RFRA) changes the environment for us doing our work, and us holding events. We’re deeply committed to the whole notion of inclusion. We have a very diverse membership. We value that very, very highly. We’ve got to work in and we’ve got to host our events in an environment that makes that possible,” Emmert told the Indianapolis Star’s Gregg Doyel on Monday.
“We don’t want to, because of political activity, disrupt an event that’s been in the making for so long, (and now) you’ve changed the experience for the student-athletes,” he continued. “But if we have to move events, we’ll do it.”
Duke University, whose men’s team qualified for the Final Four with a win Sunday, issued a statement against the law Monday, saying that it “continues to stand alongside the LGBT community in seeking a more equal and inclusive world, and we deplore any effort to legislate bias and discrimination. We share the NCAA’s concern about the potential impact of the new law, and will be vigilant to ensure that our student-athletes, supporters, and indeed all citizens and visitors are treated fairly and with respect.”
The three other schools involved in the Final Four — the University of Kentucky, University of Wisconsin, and Michigan State University, all expressed concern over the law or commitments to diversity in statements to the Huffington Post this week.
“The Big Ten Conference and its member institutions believe in promoting an inclusive environment in which athletic competition can operate free from discrimination,” a spokesperson for Wisconsin’s athletic department told the Huffington Post. “The conference is aware of the bill that was recently signed into law in the state of Indiana and will further review its impact at the next scheduled meetings of its administrators, presidents and chancellors.”
Kentucky president Eli Capilouto, meanwhile, said the university “encourage[s] the vigorous debate about the intent and impact of this issue.”
Kentucky also has a RFRA law, but Indiana’s has drawn more criticism because it goes farther than federal religious freedom laws and those in many other states.
Others in the sports world have spoken out against the Indiana law since the NCAA’s initial statement. University of Southern California athletic director Pat Haden tweeted Tuesday that he would not attend a College Football Playoff committee meeting in Indianapolis, where the NCAA is based, this week because of the law.
I am the proud father of a gay son. In his honor, I will not be attending the CFP committee meeting in Indy this week. #EmbraceDiversity
— Pat Haden (@ADHadenUSC) March 31, 2015
Former NBA players Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller, who are both working as analysts for the NCAA Tournament, criticized it last week, as did the NBA’s Indiana Pacers and WNBA’s Indiana Fever. Olympic diver Greg Louganis, who is gay, appeared at a hearing in Indianapolis to oppose the law and support the capital city’s efforts to reaffirm its commitment to inclusion of LGBT people.
“Indianapolis has embraced me,” Louganis said, according to the Star. “What’s happened (with RFRA) does not reflect the people that I know and love.”
NASCAR also issued a statement about the law.
“NASCAR is disappointed by the recent legislation passed in Indiana,” the stock car racing association said. “We will not embrace nor participate in exclusion or intolerance. We are committed to diversity and inclusion with our sport and therefore will continue to welcome all competitors and fans at our events in the state of Indiana and anywhere else we race.”
The Final Four begins Saturday, when Duke takes on Michigan State in the first of two national semifinal games. With questions about the tournament and other businesses and events considering pulling out of Indiana, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard urged the state legislature to adopt specific protections for LGBT inclusion. The city has an ordnance against discrimination that includes sexual orientation.