NCAA blacklisted New Jersey for championship events through at least 2022

Apr 3, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels celebrate after defeating the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the championship game of the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium. North Carolina defeated Gonzaga 71-65. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

The NCAA has released its host sites for a myriad of championship events in all of its sports over the next several years and none of them are in New Jersey.

The NCAA blacklisted New Jersey because of the Garden State’s recent legalization of gambling, an expected move due to ongoing litigation challenging the legislation by the NCAA and others.

John Brennan of NorthJersey.com reports that the NCAA pulled all of its events from the state beginning with 2013. In 2012, the NCAA was part of a lawsuit with MLB, the NBA, the NFL and the NHL claiming that the legalization of sports betting at casinos and racetracks hurt their business by potentially interfering with the integrity of their games.

The suit is ongoing and could be heard by the United States Supreme Court pending a recommendation by the United States Solicitor General. In the meantime, the NCAA is acting according to its interest in the suit by keeping all of its events out of New Jersey.

What this means for the state of New Jersey is more lost revenue. For at least six more years, not a penny of the money in hotel stays, rental cars, restaurant visits and a wide array of other expenses associated with NCAA championship events will be spent in New Jersey.

This doesn’t mean that no sporting events engaged in by NCAA member institutions will be held in the state. Rutgers University, a member of the Big Ten conference, will carry on business as usual. It’s even possible that the Big Ten could host conference championship events in the state. The NCAA’s blacklisting of the state does not mandate the same action for the Big Ten or any other conference which has members in New Jersey.

If the Supreme Court declines to take up the case, or hears the case but rules in favor of the NCAA and the other plaintiffs, it’s fair to ask whether the New Jersey legislature would repeal the law at that point. The millions of dollars already lost and spent fighting the suit in court probably already outweigh the revenue projected for the state had the law gone unchallenged.

While all that’s being decided in courts, what’s for sure right now is that any Rutgers fans who want to see the Scarlet Knights compete in NCAA championship events will have to leave their home state.

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