The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is threatening to pull championship games from states that ban biological men from playing womens’ sports.
“When determining where championships are held, NCAA policy directs that only locations where hosts can commit to providing an environment that is safe, healthy and free of discrimination should be selected,” the NCAA Board of Governors wrote in a statement.
Even though Florida wasn’t explicitly named, the NCAA statement was released just one day before the Florida House was set to take up its proposal clarifying that female sports teams are specifically for “biological” women and girls.
Florida U.S. Sen. Rick Scott blasted the NCAA Tuesday writing on Twitter, “The @NCAA likes to threaten FL and other states. Well, here’s a threat to the NCAA – the American people are not going to allow biological males to compete in women’s sports. It’s not going to happen.”
Scott even shot back with a warning to the NCAA: “If you keep threatening the public with your woke elitist psychobabble the NCAA will not last much longer. Florida cannot be replaced, but you can be replaced.”
If you keep threatening the public with your woke elitist psychobabble, the NCAA will not last much longer. Florida cannot be replaced, but you can be replaced.
— Rick Scott (@ScottforFlorida) April 13, 2021
Corporate activism has become a popular trend in the sports world. The MLB recently pulled its All-Star Game from Atlanta over Georgia’s new election reform law. Luckily for Floridians, Scott is publicly standing up to the woke corporatists sinking their claws into the American democratic process with economic sanctions.
Florida state senators and representatives are doing the same. In its statement, the NCAA added that they expect student-athletes to be treated with “dignity and respect,” insinuating fair, sex-separated competition would disrespect athletes. State Rep. Chris Latvala, chair of the Florida House Education Committee, fired back on Twitter, writing, “The NCAA needs to treat their own athletes with ‘dignity and respect. The women’s basketball tourney had subpar facilities and covid testing and the volleyball tournament wasn’t even going to have announcers for the first 2 [rounds.]”
The NCAA needs to treat their own athletes with "dignity and respect". The women's basketball tourney had subpar facilities and covid testing and the volleyball tournament wasn't even going to have announcers for the first 2 rds. https://t.co/P9136azXUo
— Chris Latvala (@ChrisLa1974) April 12, 2021
The full Florida House was expected to consider the transgender sports ban on Tuesday, but, according to Florida Politico, “Senate leaders late on Monday opted to withdraw the upper chamber’s proposal from an upcoming agenda.”
The bill was then set to be heard in its final Senate committee stop Wednesday. However, hours after the NCAA’s statement, a spokeswoman for Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson tweeted that the committee’s agenda was too busy for the bill to be heard this week.
For planning purposes, with a busy Rules agenda on Wednesday, Chair Stargel plans to TP SB 2012.
— Katie Betta (@KGBetta) April 12, 2021
It is yet to be seen whether Florida will be able to withstand the corporate extortionists, but strong rhetoric from Scott and others paints a promising picture.
