A swift decision was made by the North Carolina House committee regarding a contentious bill that would affect the state’s collegiate sports landscape.
House Bill 965, introduced by Republican members, requires the University of North Carolina (UNC) and North Carolina State University (NC State) football and basketball teams to schedule annual matches against smaller in-state schools.
The bill mandates UNC and NC State to include East Carolina, Appalachian State, or Charlotte in their schedules each season for football and men’s and women’s basketball.
Additionally, they would be obliged to face each other annually and play home and away games against the designated smaller schools every six years.
The proposal aims to address potential conference realignment, ensuring continued matchups between the two rivals.
Representative Jason Saine, a proponent of the bill, emphasized its alignment with fan preferences and expressed confidence in its potential impact without causing harm to the universities.
He indicated that the reactions of UNC and NC State would influence the bill’s likelihood of passage, with an effective date slated for July 1 if approved.
The bill underscores efforts by state lawmakers to maintain the competitive alignment of UNC and NC State, despite the possibility of conference changes.
House Speaker Tim Moore has previously advocated for the universities to remain in the same conference, reflecting broader sentiments within the state.
Amidst predictions of conference realignment, with NC State possibly joining the Big 12 and UNC speculated to join the SEC, the latter is perceived as a significant asset for conference expansion, particularly for the SEC and Big Ten.
The attractiveness of North Carolina’s market and UNC’s potential move to the SEC could extend the conference’s influence into new territories beyond traditional Southern states.
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