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NCAA Extends Confederate Flag Ban To Preclude Championships In States Where Flag Is Flown

NCAA (Credit: Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock.com)

(Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock.com)

Katie Jerkovich Entertainment Reporter
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The NCAA announced Friday it was extending its “Confederate flag” policy to ban championships from being held in states where the flag is flown.

“There is no place in college athletics or the world for symbols or acts of discrimination and oppression,” Michael V. Drake, chair of the NCAA board of governors and Ohio State president, said in a statement reported by ESPN.com.   (RELATED: ‘A Man Of The People’: NASCAR Drivers Praise Trump After Daytona Appearance)

“We must continually evaluate ways to protect and enhance the championship experience for college athletes. Expanding the Confederate flag policy to all championships is an important step by the NCAA to further provide a quality experience for all participants and fans.” (RELATED: President Trump To Attend Season-Opening Daytona 500)

Under the new policy, the only state that will be affected is Mississippi, where the state flag features a banner of the Confederacy, a blue cross with 13 white stars, ESPN reported.

According to the report:

The NCAA’s previous policy, which was enacted in 2001, applied only to predetermined championship sites. At the time, it affected both Mississippi and South Carolina. But in 2015, South Carolina, following the murder of nine members of the historically black Emanuel African Methodist Church in Charleston, stopped flying the Confederate flag at its state Capitol and was therefore allowed to host NCAA championship events again.

The extension of the policy includes now all championship sites, even those locations which had been awarded the opportunity based on competition in things like baseball, softball and women’s basketball.

“Competing in an NCAA championship is a special experience for college athletes who compete at the highest level and we are grateful for the college athlete voice leading to this decision,” NCAA president Mark Emmert shared. “We must do all we can to ensure that NCAA actions reflect our commitment to inclusion and support all our student-athletes. There can be no place within college sports where any student-athlete is demeaned or unwelcome.”

Southern Miss, the home of Conference USA, announced Thursday it will be reviewing its championship hosting policies “to ensure we provide environments that align with our continued mission to support and protect our student-athletes,” per a statement from Conference USA Commissioner Judy MacLeod.