NCAA Brings Down the Hammer on Mississippi Over the State Flag Debate

There will never be another NCAA Regional held in Swayze Field. Not until the State of Mississippi decides to make a change and remove the current state flag.

There will never be another NCAA Regional held in Swayze Field. Not until the State of Mississippi decides to make a change and remove the current state flag. 

On Friday, the NCAA Board of Governors voted to amend its postseason policies, banning NCAA championship events and other NCAA postseason events from occurring in the state of Mississippi until there is a change in the state's flag. 

“There is no place in college athletics or the world for symbols or acts of discrimination and oppression,” said Michael V. Drake, chair of the board and president of the Ohio State University. “We must continually evaluate ways to protect and enhance the championship experience for college athletes. Expanding the Confederate flag policy to all championships is an important step by the NCAA to further provide a quality experience for all participants and fans.” 

The biggest ramifications here, of course, will come in baseball and softball.

Ole Miss has hosted NCAA Baseball Regionals in Oxford nine times. Mississippi State has hosted NCAA Baseball Regionals in Starkville 14 times. Both schools were hosts in the most recent 2019 tournament. 

Both programs will draw over 10,000 fans per game at these events. There is also a third FBS program in the state capable of hosting such events in Southern Miss.

For the record, the NCAA postseason language already bans the state from hosting pre-determined championship events. This rule was put into effect in 2001 and prevents the state from hosting things such as NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament host sites or an NCAA Golf Championship. Friday's adjustment encapsulates all NCAA postseason events. 

“Competing in an NCAA championship is a special experience for college athletes who compete at the highest level and we are grateful for the college athlete voice leading to this decision,” said Mark Emmert, NCAA president. “We must do all we can to ensure that NCAA actions reflect our commitment to inclusion and support all our student-athletes. There can be no place within college sports where any student-athlete is demeaned or unwelcome.”

Both Ole Miss and Mississippi State stopped flying the Mississippi State flag, one that dons the battle flag of the Confederacy in the top left hand corner, in 2015. The City of Oxford has also not flown the flag since 2015. 

It's a movement around the country, stemming from the Black Lives Matter movement and other issues of racial injustice, that have seen many entities banning anything containing the Confederate flag in past weeks. Both NASCAR and the Marine Corps have completely banned the flying of any Confederate emblems. 

The unprecedented vote by the NCAA passes on Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. 

The NCAA decision comes hand in hand with a decision handed down by the Southeastern Conference just one day prior. On Thursday, the SEC and commissioner Greg Sankey announced that the league plans to ban all championship events from occurring within the state of Mississippi until there is a change of the flag. 

Both the presidents and athletic directors from Ole Miss and Mississippi State backup up commissioner Sankey, releasing their own statements in agreement with the SEC's decision. 

If anything will move the needle in Mississippi legislation, it may just need to be sports and potential economic ramifications stemming from them. 

More from The Grove Report:

SEC, Ole Miss and Mississippi State Leaders Pushing for Change of Mississippi Flag

Ole Miss Esports disassociates with the 'Rebel' moniker

NCAA Approves Updated Offseason Plan: When Can Ole Miss Begin Real Practices?

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