NCAA Moves Tournament Games Out of NC

The N.C.A.A., responding to a contentious North Carolina law that curbed anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, will relocate all championship tournament games scheduled to take place in the state over the coming academic year, the organization announced Monday night.

Among the events affected is the Division I men’s basketball tournament, the N.C.A.A.’s most prominent annual event, which had six first- and second-round games scheduled to be played in Greensboro in March.

The announcement followed the N.B.A.’s decision in July to move its 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte but was seen as a particularly substantial blow to officials in North Carolina, where college basketball is central to the state’s culture and pride. North Carolina has hosted more men’s basketball tournament games than any other state, an N.C.A.A. spokesman said.

In a statement explaining the decision by its Board of Governors, which is largely made up of institutional presidents and chancellors, the N.C.A.A. said: “N.C.A.A. championships and events must promote an inclusive atmosphere for all college athletes, coaches, administrators and fans. Current North Carolina state laws make it challenging to guarantee that host communities can help deliver on that commitment.”

The N.C.A.A. has previously expressed support for protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Last year, for instance, it pressured Indiana over a law — passed days before the men’s basketball Final Four was to be held in Indianapolis, which is also where the N.C.A.A. is headquartered — that critics said could condone discrimination. And in April, it adopted an anti-discrimination measure for its evaluation of championship hosts.

But Monday’s decision is sure to have real economic ramifications, and it could presage further activism by sports leagues against state or local laws they see as antithetical to their principles or disagreeable to their national fan bases.