SoCon, city leaders will meet to discuss hoops tourney
ASHEVILLE – Community leaders from Asheville have been invited to meet with Southern Conference officials Tuesday to discuss the future of the SoCon basketball tournament in Asheville, which could be moved out of state because of the ramifications of HB2.
The SoCon tournament has been in Asheville since 2012 but could be relocated as a protest to House Bill 2, which says among other things that people must use the restroom or locker room in government buildings designated for the sex listed on their birth certificate and keeps local governments from adopting ordinances to prevent discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
Last week, the NCAA decided to move seven events scheduled for the 2016-17 athletic season in North Carolina. One day later, the Atlantic Coast Conference made a similar decision about league tournaments, including the league’s football championship, which was scheduled for Dec. 3 in Charlotte.
Demp Bradford, executive director of the Asheville Buncombe Sports Commission, said Monday that Tuesday is the regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the local organizing committee for the Southern Conference basketball tournament. He said invitations were sent to community leaders, including Mayor Esther Manheimer, to have an opportunity to convince the SoCon to not move the tournament.
“In an effort to foster a good dialogue with the Southern Conference and to hopefully have the tournament remain in Asheville, we have invited a cross section of leaders from the community to meet with SoCon officials during the day,” Bradford said of the meeting scheduled at the U.S. Cellular Center.
Among others extended invitations are state senator Terry Van Duyn, state representatives John Ager and Brian Turner, county commissioners David Gantt and Brownie Newman, Asheville city council member Gordon Smith and the Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, executive director of the Campaign for Southern Equality. Most of the people invited had accepted as of midday Monday.
SoCon commissioner John Iamarino said the league’s athletic directors will have a conference call Wednesday. On Thursday, the SoCon presidents and chancellors will be joined on a conference call by the athletic directors, who will answer questions. The chancellors and presidents will then continue with their own session.
“The presidents and chancellors will take information for the athletic directors from our office and from each other,” Iamarino said. “They will be the ones to steer the path for our conference.”
When asked if he thought a decision could be made this week to either keep the tournament in Asheville or move it, Iamarino said, “It’s certainly a possibility. Whatever comes out of the meeting could be a decision one way or the other. It also could be ‘Hey, we want to continue to monitor this a little more.’ ”
Bradford said the local organizing committee has continued to work as if the tournament will be held as scheduled March 2-6.
“We continue to meet and have our committee meetings to keep the tournament here in town,” he said. “Our fundraising is on pace as it was last year.”
The tournament was in Asheville from 1984-95 and then in several cities before returning here in 2012. Since its return, the tournament has been financially beneficial to the city and to the SoCon.
Bradford said the local organizing committee has provided the SoCon with information on why it deserves to keep the tournament.
“Asheville has the most diverse community in the state of North Carolina and is one of the most welcoming, loving communities with a very diverse community," he said. "We would hope that the Southern Conference would look at that differently than other cities across the state."