Last year, as Arizona was closing in on passing a religious freedom law that would have allowed business owners to deny service on the basis of sexual orientation that conflicted with the religious beliefs of said business owners, the NFL expressed concern about the situation.
“Our policies emphasize tolerance and inclusiveness, and prohibit discrimination based on age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other improper standard,” the NFL said in a statement. “We are following the issue in Arizona and will continue to do so should the bill be signed into law, but will decline further comment at this time.”
At that time, the league also declined to comment on whether an alternate site was identified for Super Bowl XLIX.
Fast forward to 2015, and Indiana has passed the law that Arizona didn’t. So will it jeopardize the ability of Indianapolis to host future league-presented events like the Super Bowl and the annual Scouting Combine?
That’s unknown, because unlike 2014 when Arizona was merely considering passing the law, the NFL has no comment this time around.
Presumably, the principles expressed by the NFL a year ago still apply. The NFL nevertheless has opted not to reiterate those principles as it relates to Indiana.
The NCAA, which will be staging the Final Four in Indianapolis in less than two weeks, has opted for something other than silence, saying via CNN that governing body for college athletics is “committed to an inclusive environment where all individuals enjoy equal access to events.”