Soccer in North Carolina is growing. On December 6, 2016, the Carolina Railhawks, currently part of the North American Soccer League, rebranded to North Carolina FC and announced their plans to potentially move into MLS within 18 months. On January 31, 2017, North Carolina FC officially submitted their bid to join MLS. The Raleigh-Durham area is one of 10 finalist markets for MLS expansion. In order to facilitate a successful transition to MLS, Steve Malik, the owner of North Carolina FC, has been …
Continue ReadingTag: Charlotte
Impact Of North Carolina’s Likely Repeal Of HB2
As previously discussed on this blog, North Carolina has seen a variety of sports, entertainment, and business organizations voice their disapproval of House Bill 2, otherwise known as the bathroom bill.
Since it was signed into law by Governor Pat McCrory, HB2’s financial impact has rippled across North Carolina. In July, the NBA elected to relocate its 2017 All-Star game from Charlotte as a result of the much debated bill. In September, the ACC announced that all neutral-site conference championship games planned to take place …
Continue ReadingNBA Takes a Stand for LGBTQ Community
The National Basketball Association is the first—and only—professional athletic organization to take action against a discriminatory law enacted in North Carolina. This past March, North Carolina held a special session to respond to an antidiscrimination law passed in Charlotte. Charlotte had offered antidiscrimination protections to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in February. The legislature passed House Bill 2 (HB2), which was signed into law by Governor Pat McCrory. HB2 superseded all local ordinances concerning nondiscrimination and it formally excluded the LGBT community from protection.…
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