Erick Smith

USA TODAY Sports

NCAA president Mark Emmert supports the return of championships to North Carolina, but he also recognizes the state made just enough changes to the controversial House Bill 2 in order to satisfy the organization.

Seven championships were pulled from the state due to HB2, which was criticized as discriminatory against transgender people because it required them to use bathrooms based on their birth certificate and not by the gender in which they identify. The bill was repealed last month in time for the NCAA reverse its ban on the state.

"They kind of did the absolute minimum to earn their way back into the association's good graces," Emmert said Thursday at the Associated Press Sports Editors annual meeting with commissioners. "The governor isn't happy with it. A lot of people aren't happy with it. ... People who are pro-HB2 aren't happy with it either. I wound up convinced the governor got as good a deal as they were going to get passed in that legislature."

The new law is identical to existing ones in Arkansas and Tennessee, giving North Carolina the ability to meet the NCAA's standard to host. This year, a women's gymnastics regional was held in Fayetteville, Ark., and a regional of NCAA men's tournament was held in Memphis.

"Had we not gone back to North Carolina, we would have also had to say we can't go to Tennessee, we can't go to Arkansas," Emmert said. "It would have been hypocritical, at the very least, to say no we're not going back to North Carolina, but we're ok with Tennessee. They're all virtually identical landscapes right now."

While North Carolina is now scheduled to host 23 championship events through 2022, any adjustments to the current law will be met with swift action if the NCAA doesn't approve of the changes.

"If North Carolina next week calls a special section and re-enacts HB2 like some people want to do, we're out," Emmert said. "I guarantee my board and I will sit down and say 'OK we've got other spots.' We did it once. We'll do it again."