GREENSBORO — Hillary Clinton spoke Thursday less than two miles from where NCAA Tournament games were scheduled to be played this March, and in the same city the Atlantic Coast Conference calls home.

As the Democratic candidate returned to the campaign trail for the first time since being diagnosed with pneumonia, North Carolina was back in the spotlight after taking another economic hit as a result of the Republican-backed House Bill 2.

This week, the NCAA pulled seven championship events from North Carolina for this academic year, including first and second round NCAA Tournament men's basketball games slated for the Greensboro Coliseum. North Carolina has hosted 251 NCAA Tournament games, the most of any state, and college basketball is a staple of North Carolinians' lives.

Then, the ACC yanked eight neutral-site championships from the state, adding to the drastic side effects the so-called "bathroom bill" has brought.

HB2 requires that transgender people use the bathroom of their biological sex. It banned local communities from enacting anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQIA citizens.

The bill was passed in a special session in March by a Republican-dominated House. Gov. Pat McCrory signed the bill into law.

And so there was Clinton at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, addressing the impact of HB2 and how that relates to the general election.

"I'm running for the LGBT teenager here in North Carolina who sees your governor sign a bill legalizing discrimination and suddenly feels like a second-class citizen," Clinton said. "And if anyone wonders what the costs of discrimination are, just ask the people and businesses of North Carolina. Look at what's happening with the NCAA and the ACC.

"This is where bigotry leads, and we can't afford it — not here, not anywhere else in America." 

To junior Spencer Wagner, a Clinton supporter who attended Thursday's rally, it made total sense to address HB2 in speaking to a crowd filled with mostly college-aged students.

"It was a really good point to bring up," Wagner said. "Most people wouldn't expect sports organizations would be getting involved in this. It's a very big topic ... that's ruining the economy in North Carolina."

John Easterling, a student at UNCG and the Black Caucus Chairman for College Democrats of America, spoke before Clinton took the stage. He called Clinton a "strong advocate" of the LGBT community, and thought her remarks were received well.

He wasn't at all surprised by the NCAA and ACC's decisions. 

"It's nothing but the Republican agenda, their controversial agenda," Easterling said, "and an attack on the foundation of what North Carolinians believe."

John Crowder is a former Elon University student who now attends UNCG. While at Elon, he was involved with College Democrats and the North Carolina Student Legislature.

He said it was only logical for the NCAA and ACC to take a stance on HB2 after many other organizations have, too.

"It sends a message to North Carolina, and the legislature and to the governor," Crowder said, "that we can't just discriminate against groups of people and think it's all right to galvanize a certain group of voters."