Is a College World Series nonessential state business?

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system decided Tuesday that all sports travel is nonessential, and now some Minnesota college athletes would be unable to compete for a national championship this month because their tournaments are being held in North Carolina.

On April 2, Gov. Mark Dayton prohibited state employees from traveling to North Carolina on “nonessential” state business because of a recently enacted law that bans transgender people from using locker rooms and bathrooms designated for the gender with which they identify.

Dayton said the ban remains in place “until the North Carolina Governor and state Legislature repeal the discriminatory law they enacted. …”

The governor’s ban did not include MnSCU employees or teachers, but the system’s presidents met Tuesday to discuss the issue and “expressed their support for Governor Dayton,” MnSCU communications director Doug Anderson said in an email to the Pioneer Press.

During the meeting, Anderson said, “The presidents have concluded that athletics-related travel is non-essential for purposes of this directive. While we understand that some players may be disappointed, no sports team from any of our colleges or universities will participate in tournaments in North Carolina this spring.”

St. Cloud State president Earl H. Potter did not attend Tuesday’s meetings because of a family issue but said he supports “the governor’s position and the stand he’s taken.” However, he added, worrying about whether the decision will kill the Huskies’ opportunity to play for a national title is only speculation.

What’s important, Potter said, is to “support our student-athletes the best we can.”

“They’ve spent and lot of time and energy on their season, and we’re talking about something that may or may not occur,” he said. “I know the NCAA is reviewing these decisions in other states, and that people are talking at other levels. I know the position the (MnSCU) system has taken, and if we were to be there and nothing else changed … but that’s a lot of ifs. I need to focus on supporting the student-athletes the best I can.”

The NCAA’s Division II baseball championship will be May 28-June 4 in Cary, N.C. Finishing the season there was a realistic goal for St. Cloud State (34-6), ranked third nationally in the latest Division II poll. Minnesota Duluth (33-9), ranked 16th, is unaffected by the decision because the University of Minnesota system is separate from MnSCU.

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) championships will be held in Kinston, N.C., for Division III schools, which include Century College (26-9) in White Bear Lake and St. Cloud Tech (20-5). Those teams are ranked ninth and 10th nationally in the latest poll.

Century finished fourth at last year’s tournament in Cary, the second time in three years the Wood Ducks had advanced to the NJCAA World Series. “We had our sights set on that trip,” coach Dwight Kotila said.

“The student-athletes are the ones that are being penalized,” Kotila added. “They have the opportunity to be seen by numerous four-year coaches and professional scouts at the World Series. We’re taking away opportunities for them to continue their education and pursue their career. They’re the ones really being penalized.

“I support the opposition to the laws that were passed there. It’s not human what they’re doing. On the other hand, I have to look out for my student-athletes, too. Is this fair for them to be used to make a statement?”

Arkansas and Tennessee passed similar laws in 2014 and 2011, respectively.