The committee meets again Aug. 11 and a cancellation by the NCAA would be the most prominent move since the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People announced last summer a tourism boycott. Earlier this month, Serena Williams withdrew from the Family Circle Cup tennis tournament to support the effort. Many of the state's college football and basketball coaches, including Clemson's Tommy Bowden and Larry Shyatt and South Carolina's Lou Holtz and Eddie Fogler, have called for the flag's removal. Last month, Penn State baseball players wore armbands to protest the flag during their series at Winthrop. Flag opponents say the banner is a symbol of racism.
Supporters say it honors Confederate veterans and is a symbol of Southern heritage.
The NCAA's decision comes less than two weeks after its baseball committee decided not to exclude South Carolina and Clemson from consideration as regional hosts this year. Wethington said the executive committee's decision would not affect events scheduled this spring. We simply today signaled what action we would take if conditions don't change. The state Senate earlier this month passed a bill to remove the flag and fly a similar banner in front of the Statehouse at a monument honoring Confederate soldiers. The bill was approved this week in the House Judiciary Committee and is headed for debate.