The NCAA this week — as Texas lawmakers continued to debate a number of anti-trans measures — announced that it will only hold college championship games in states where transgender student-athletes can participate without discrimination.

In addition to Senate Bills 1311 and 1646, which target trans youth and have hearings in the Senate States Affairs Committee this week, Texas lawmakers have filed six additional bills that target transgender students participating in sports, including SB 29, SB 373, and HB 1458.

(Watch for James Russell’s round-up of anti-LGBTQ bills making their way through the Texas legislative process in the Friday, April 16, issue of Dallas Voice.)

Wesley Story, communications manager at Progress Texas, warned this week, “Texas has two NCAA championship games in the immediate future, and a lot to lose if lawmakers continue pushing forward hateful, transphobic bills.

“In addition to the economic consequences of losing out on NCAA championship games, the toll these bills would have on transgender youth cannot be overstated,” Story continued. “Transgender children are just trying to live their lives, the same as any other kid. They shouldn’t have to show up at the Capitol every legislative session to fight for their right to exist.

“All Texans deserve to live their lives without the fear of being discriminated against, and our lawmakers should be ashamed of themselves for promoting harmful legislation that further stigmatizes LGBTQ+ Texans.”

Several big-money sports events are scheduled for Texas in the immediate future, specifically, the NCAA 2022 opening round tournament weekends in Fort Worth and San Antonio, as well as Final Four Championship weekends in Houston in 2023 and San Antonio in 2025.

According to Forbes, regional weekends can net a city up to $18 million, while a Final Four Championship weekend can generate as much as $300 million.