Group Calls For Boise To Lose NCAA Playoffs

BOISE, ID—The NCAA has received a letter from over 550 college athletes demanding states with laws banning transgender youth from playing sports with their gender identity be stripped of hosting championship games according to a report from Sports Illustrated.

Live in Boise? Click here to subscribe to our free breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox and mobile devices. You can also download our free Patch mobile app on Android or iPhone.

Idaho, along with Mississippi and South Dakota, currently have these laws in place. An additional 25 states are considering some form of the law.

The NCAA did transfer an event from North Carolina after the state banned transgender people from using bathrooms that matched their gender identity in 2016. The NCAA has not held a championship in a school using degoratory images of Native people or in states that fly the Confederate flag since 2001.

Boise has hosted several rounds of the NCAA basketball tournament with the city boosting the economy with visitors and fans of teams. The national exposure from the televised games have also assisted Boise businesses and the Boise State University.

The letter from the athletes was organized by runners from Washington University in St. Louis assisted by LGBTQ advocacy organizations GLAAD and Athlete Ally. The letter was signed by athletes representing Duke, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Villanova and covered a wide range of sports.

Stay connected! Like Boise Patch on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.