July 22, 2016 12:40pm
Cities interested in hosting future NCAA championships are being asked to specifically outline how they will protect participants and spectators from discrimination.
These potential future bidding cities must complete a questionnaire from the NCAA by Aug. 12 detailing any local anti-discrimination laws, provisions for refusal of services and other facility-specific information. Currently awarded host sites will have a separate deadline, which will be determined later, to submit this same information.
The questionnaire follows the Board of Governors’ April adoption of a new requirement for sites hosting or bidding on NCAA events in all divisions. These hosts must demonstrate how they will provide an environment that is safe, healthy and free of discrimination and also safeguards the dignity of everyone involved in the event.
Click here to download the Non-Discrimination Questionnaire.
The policy applies to all championships, including those with sites that are awarded based on competition results, also known as non-predetermined championships.
“We are committed to providing a championship experience within an inclusive environment for student-athletes, coaches, administrators and fans,” said Mark Lewis, NCAA executive vice president for championships and alliances. “With the Board of Governors’ direction, we are taking steps to assure that anyone associated with an NCAA championship event will be treated with fairness and respect.”
The requirement follows the recent actions of legislatures in several states, which have passed laws allowing businesses or government to refuse to provide services to some people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The board tasked NCAA national office staff with developing a process to implement this policy, with a specific focus on using the bid process to gather relevant data. Over the past couple of months, the staff has been working with the Board of Governors’ Ad Hoc Committee to Promote Cultural Diversity and Equity and has received feedback on the questionnaire from other membership bodies.
The questionnaire integrates the requirement into the bidding process for championships, adding it to information already required regarding access for people with disabilities and details on playing and practice facilities.
The committees for each of the 90 NCAA championships, which are comprised of representatives from NCAA schools, will use this information to ensure they award championships to cities that meet all hosting requirements.
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