The NCAA Men’s Final Four begins Saturday at NRG Stadium in Houston.
And while this year’s games provide the media with plenty of stories, one reporter is skipping the trip to Texas to protest the state’s gun laws.
«However, I won’t be in Houston,» Washington Post columnist John Feinstein wrote Thursday, noting that he has attended 39 Final Fours.
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Alex Karaban of the Connecticut Huskies walks during the media availability for the Final Four as part of the NCAA Tournament at NRG Stadium on March 30, 2023 in Houston. (Brett Wilhelm/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
San Diego State head coach Brian James Dutcher is in his sixth season with the program, but it has taken him 28 years to reach the Final Four. Mid-major Florida Atlantic is the true Cinderella story that so many yearn for each year. And the Miami Hurricanes have had an impressive run in this year’s tournament.
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But all those intriguing stories weren’t enough to make Feinstein forget about the laws he opposes.
I’m not going for one simple reason: On June 2, nine days after 19 schoolchildren and two teachers were shot to death at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, I wrote a column urging the NCAA to move this year’s Final Four. Texas, the women’s event is in Dallas, until that state passes something like meaningful gun legislation,» Feinstein said.
The San Diego State Aztecs celebrate defeating the Creighton Bluejays during the Elite Eight of the 2023 NCAA Tournament at KFC YUM! Center March 26, 2023, in Louisville, Ky. (Photos by Grace Bradley/NCAA via Getty Images)
The gunman in the Uvalde shooting legally purchased an AR-15-style rifle shortly after his 18th birthday.
Earlier this week, three children and three adults were killed in a shooting at a Nashville school. The shooter had three weapons, including an AR-15-style rifle. According to police, the shooter legally purchased several weapons from five local gun stores.
«I suppose there will be a moment of silence before the first game of the Final Four on Saturday.» Feinstein noted. «And then it’s going to be ‘play ball!’ and nothing will change. Just like after Uvalde. Just like after all the other tragedies related to gun violence.»
Feinstein mentioned that an NCAA official said only the organization’s board of directors had the power to move the Final Four to a different location.
Anton Watson (22) of the Gonzaga Bulldogs handles the ball against Alex Karaban (11) of the Connecticut Huskies during the Elite Eight of the 2023 NCAA Tournament at T-Mobile Arena on March 25, 2023 in Las Vegas. (Brett Wilhelm/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Two professional sports leagues have made the decision to pull some of their major midseason events in recent years. The NBA chose to move its All-Star Game from Charlotte, North Carolina, to New Orleans because of the controversial «bathroom law.»
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Major League Baseball also decided to pull its All-Star Game from Atlanta after the state passed an election bill that opponents argued negatively impacted fair access to voting. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has also decided to skip the 2021 Masters Tournament following the decision to move the Summer Classic to Colorado.
Nijel Pack of the Miami Hurricanes speaks during the media availability for the Final Four as part of the NCAA Tournament at NRG Stadium on March 30, 2023 in Houston. (Brett Wilhelm/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
“The NCAA board of governors has addressed important issues in the past, but any action to prevent states from hosting championships based on state gun laws requires the most careful engagement with members,” the NCAA said in a statement. statement sent to Feinstein.
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Next year’s NCAA Men’s Final Four is scheduled for State Farm Stadium in Arizona. In 2025, the Final Four will return to Texas, with the San Antonio Alamodome hosting in early April.
“Meanwhile, tragedies like the one in Uvalde occur, and everyone agrees how tragic it is. So nothing changes.
About the only person in Houston who will notice or care about my absence is my friend Dick «Hoops» Weiss. He’s fine. I think this is the right thing to do,» Feinstein said.