The NCAA Board of Governors will allow North Carolina's championship bids to be considered in the wake of recent House Bill 2 developments.

  • House Bill 2 repealed last week
  • Some gay, lesbian, transgender groups still unhappy
  • Gov. considers development step forward
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They also say championships previously awarded for the next school year will stay in the state.

NCAA officials said they reluctantly came to the decision after House Bill 2 was repealed last week.

Gov. Roy Cooper said it is clear the NCAA was hoping for a full repeal of the law, but said he is glad they considered the compromised law a big enough step forward for now.

"They recognized that even though it wasn't everything they wanted, it was enough for them to come back and join us in the fight to help to continue to improve our laws so that people can be protected from discrimination," Cooper said.

The NCAA says the new law minimally achieves a situation where championship games can be played in a nondiscriminatory environment.

The board will require any site awarded a championship in North Carolina, or anywhere else, to submit additional documentation demonstrating how student athletes and fans will be protected from discrimination.

HB2 required transgender individuals to use the bathrooms corresponding with their birth gender. But the new law passed last week has drawn criticism from gay, lesbian and transgender groups because it prevents cities from passing non-discrimination ordinances until 2020.

The Greensboro Coliseum also released a statement about the NCAA's decision to allow championship bids in North Carolina:

"The Greensboro Coliseum Complex has a long and storied history of successfully hosting NCAA championship events at the highest level. We are proud of our well-earned reputation of providing a first-class championship experience for all student-athletes, coaches, event organizers and fans. In addition, the City of Greensboro is nationally known for its Southern hospitality and warmly welcoming participants and spectators to our community.

We are hopeful that today’s announcement by the NCAA that will lead to additional opportunities for ‘Tournament Town’ to shine and host future NCAA championships at the Greensboro Coliseum and the Greensboro Aquatic Center."