NCAA Considers Extending Postseason Ban in South Carolina

The NCAA is starting to consider banning all postseason play within South Carolina due to the fact that the state still flies a Confederate Flag on the state capitol grounds. The Black Coaches Association has petitioned the NCAA to expand the current ban that prevents any predetermined post-season play from occuring in South Carolina. This includes basketball, golf and other regional and final locations.

The NCAA put the policy in place in 2001 following the controversy over the flying of the Confederate Flag over the South Carolina statehouse. Originally intended to be a two-year trial period, the NCAA extended the policy indefinitely after the NAACP and the BCA found the legislators actions to be subsatisfactory. The NAACP has continued its boycott of the state due to the remaining controversy over the flag issue.

The hardest hit programs would be the Clemson University and University of South Carolina baseball teams, the I-AA football programs and the South Carolina teams in the Southern Conference in basketball. According to the former AD of the University of South Carolina, Columbia has already missed out on a bid to host a NCAA Men's Basketball regional due to the policy.

Source

• http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/football/ncaa/08/01/southcarolina.confederate.ap/index.html

Date

Tue 08/01/06, 6:25 pm EST

IcemanvtWaterboy

1214 days ago

Score 0

I wrote this article, and I tried to keep opinion out of the article. But feel free to opine on the issue. I personally think it's pandering, but considering that black athletes make up a large portion of the student-athlete population, it's pandering that has to be done.

Then again, does the NAACP and the BCA really represent black student-athletes to begin with? If they did care, there wouldn't be any black athletes on any South Carolina schools' teams. But that's obviously not the case.

Like the Native American shenanigans, this is more NCAA PC pandering. They really should stay out of the politics that have nothing to do with athletics.

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HappyskinnyAll-American

1214 days ago

Score 1

Well, as a white person who attends Clemson University, I feel I can comment on this. I know plenty of fellow students who ride around with "Rebel" flags on their cars, dorm rooms, apartments, etc. All the while, I have still yet to meet anyone that is racist at all, and certainly not towards black students or athletes at all. They see the flag as a banner of southern and state pride, and although I think it should not be flown in the state, I also think it is ridiculous to consider banning post season play in the state. Especially since the Clemson baseball team is typically one of the best in the Nation and usually host a regional, and also South Carolina usually has a very good team.

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BigPPupMajor Leaguer

1214 days ago

Score 1

As a black man in Amerida who grew up in the south I know what the rebel flag means and stands for. I appreciate it for its sign of state pride. Ive also seen it flown and used as a symbol of hatred. As far as the NC2A is concerned they need to keep their nose out of politics, and governing a state. It is wrong for the rebel flag to fly over the SC Capital, it needs to come down. However that is a job for the NAACP, Black support groups and Jessie Jackson. The NC2A has a difficult enough time governing itself, and needs to focus on that. Banning the SC schools from post season play is not fair to the students who put their lives out on the field (several of whom Id venture to say dont even know what the flag means or stands for).

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