It would be dicey for the NCAA to ban colleges from competing due to laws passed in their home state. For one, it’s not fair to the athletes, who may even oppose the law.
What it can do, however, is decide not to hold any of its tournament games in that state.
AFAIK, no. But they can and have banned states from hosting postseason competition. South Carolina was such a pariah state for nearly 15 years until last summer when the Confederate flag was removed from the Capitol grounds. The NFL, of all organizations, has expressed disapproval of Georgia’s “religious liberty” bill, and if Atlanta had any interest in hosting a Super Bowl, they won’t get it if the bill passes. Remember, the NFL made good on a threat to pull the 1990 Super Bowl from Arizona when they wouldn’t approve MLK Day as a holiday.
I call that a “private” organization, which can adapt any rules it pleases for any reason or no reason.
It seems to do a “We recognize your school as a member of ‘Division X’. You can vote on rule changes for ‘Division X’” as far a rule-making goes.
That is subject to change of course, but how would such a change be enacted?
MLK day is a holiday for certain employees. I have been at my employer for over 30 years, I have never had a MLK holiday. In my state, it is a recognized holiday but for state employees only. I am sure the same reasoning applies to the NFL offices and the laws of New York.
But it still seems odd to act like MLK day is so important that a state must have it, but then to not honor it yourself. Sure, maybe not taking the day off, but at least do something to commemorate it.
If I made a big deal about the local bar not celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, to the point that I said I would boycott them, and then someone caught me on the 17th not even wearing green, I’d think they’d be right to point that out.
As I said, how can you punish someone who’s fully in favor of gay rights because his state passed a law against it?
Also, the NCAA is run by colleges, some of which are state colleges. That leaves the colleges involved in the decision targets for discrimination claims.
The same way Disney was ostensibly willing to punish all the pro-LGBT business owners in Georgia because of the law. Because you think that standing up against it is more important. Because you think it’s more important to not force your workers to go to a place where they can be legally discriminated against.
I’m sure no one actually working at your local Chick-fil-A is anti-gay, but people have no problem boycotting it.