After moving seven of its championships from North Carolina in response to the states bigoted HB2 law, the NCAA has announced where the relocated championships will be held:
- 2016 Division I Women’s Soccer Championship, College Cup, Dec. 2 and 4: San Jose, California (Avaya Stadium; West Coast Conference, host).
- 2016 Division III Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships, Dec. 2 and 3: Salem, Virginia (Kerr Stadium; Old Dominion Athletic Conference, host).
- 2017 Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, first/second-rounds, March 17 and 19: Greenville, South Carolina (Bon Secours Wellness Arena; Southern Conference and Furman University, hosts).
- 2017 Division I Women’s Golf Championships, regional, May 8-10: Athens, Georgia (University of Georgia Golf Course; University of Georgia, host).
- 2017 Division III Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships, May 22-27: Chattanooga, Tennessee (Champions Tennis Club; University of the South, host).
- 2017 Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship, May 26 and 28: Boston (Gillette Stadium; University of Massachusetts, Amherst, host).
- 2017 Division II Baseball Championship, May 27-June 3, Grand Prairie, Texas (The Ballpark in Grand Prairie; Angelo State University, host).
The most notable of those relocations is the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament first and second rounds from Greensboro to Greenville, South Carolina. Previously, the NCAA wouldn’t place official championship events in the state as the Confederate Flag flew over the State Capitol in Columbia. This will be the state’s first men’s basketball tournament event since 2002.
“What a great opportunity for Furman, the Southern Conference and the city of Greenville,” Furman athletic director Mike Buddie told ESPN. “Our ultimate goal is to get future bids for 2019 and beyond and be in the regular rotation.”
The SEC will hold it’s women’s basketball tournament in Greenville just a few weeks before the men’s tournament sets up shop there. Greenville ended up winning the bid thanks to geographic convenience.
“Geography played a huge role in this decision,” the NCAA’s Dan Gavitt told ESPN. “Greenville is only 190 miles from Greensboro. All of the other options didn’t offer that geographic balance. That had a significant role.”
The other Division I relocations include the women’s soccer tournament going to Avaya Stadium in San Jose and the DI women’s lacrosse tournament moving to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, where the men’s tournament will be held.
