Charlotte passed over for NCAA events, but it's not all bad news

Charlotte sports leaders on Tuesday expressed disappointment that the NCAA passed on their bids to hold basketball tournament games from 2020-2022, but were pleased other North Carolina cities landed games after the repeal of House Bill 2.

Another encouraging piece of news: Charlotte will still host the first and second rounds of the men’s basketball tournament at the Spectrum Center March 16-18, 2018. That’s a decision that came earlier this month when the NCAA said championships already awarded for the 2017-2018 season would remain in the state following HB2’s repeal.

The NCAA, along with other sports organizations, corporations and performers, pulled games from the state last spring after passage of the controversial law, which limited protections for LGBT individuals. But sports organizations are now reversing course after HB2 was taken off the books, even though some advocacy groups have said the repeal leaves discriminatory practices in place.

Charlotte’s sports leaders are “disappointed we won’t have the opportunity to host any championship games in this upcoming site selection cycle for NCAA,” but are excited for next year, said Tom Murray, CEO of the Charlotte Regional Visitor’s Authority.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/article145327444.html