The NCAA announced Thursday that South Carolina could bid could bid to host a future NCAA championships now that the Confederate flag will be removed from the grounds of the state capitol.
"We commend South Carolina lawmakers for taking this action to remove the Confederate flag from the Capitol grounds,” Kirk Schulz, NCAA Board of Governors chair and Kansas State University president, said in a statement. “For nearly 15 years we have specifically protested the flag by not allowing states like South Carolina to host pre-selected NCAA championships. With this impending change, and consistent with our policy, South Carolina may bid to host future NCAA championships once the flag no longer flies at the State House grounds."
The Confederate flag will officially be taken down from its flagpole on the statehouse grounds in Columbia during a ceremony at 10 a.m. Friday.
The flag will then be taken to the Confederate Relic Room for display.
After more than 13 hours of debate, the House passed a bill early Thursday morning that would require the flag to come down. Gov. Nikki Haley signed the bill at 4 p.m. Thursday in the statehouse lobby. The bill requires the flag to come down within 24 hours of her signing the measure.
University of South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner said he was excited about the opportunity:
Here is my statement on #Gamecocks hosting predetermined NCAA Championships in the future. pic.twitter.com/jwNaLsbcfE
— Ray Tanner (@RayTannerSC) July 9, 2015
The push to remove the flag was escalated after nine black churchgoers were murdered inside a historical black church in a racially motivated massacre on June 17. Accused gunman Dylann Roof had several pictures of himself posing posing with the Confederate flag and other Civil War symbols.
South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said in a tweet last moth that the entire football program supported the flag coming down permanently.
For more South Carolina news, visit GamecockCentral.com.
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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday
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