NCAA Votes Down Proposal to Ban Postseason Athletic Contests in States That Continue Official Displays of the Confederate Flag

The National Collegiate Athletic Association voted down a proposal to prohibit postseason championship games from being played in the states of South Carolina and Mississippi. Proponents of the measure sought to ban postseason games in these states on the ground that the states continue to maintain official displays of the Confederate flag.

The NCAA does not schedule postseason regional or national championships in South Carolina or Mississippi. But it refused to go further by banning individual postseason contests on campuses in these states. The NCAA’s Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee concluded that colleges and universities had no control over the practices of their state governments and therefore should not be penalized.

Copyright © 2007. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.