AT A GLANCE
- The NAACP launched its “Out of Bounds” campaign on May 19.
- The campaign targets public universities in Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Georgia.
- The NAACP is calling on Black athletes, recruits, fans, alumni and donors to withhold athletic and financial support.
- The campaign follows the Supreme Court’s 6 to 3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which civil rights groups say weakened the Voting Rights Act.
NAACP Launches “Out Of Bounds” Campaign Calling On Black Athletes To Withhold Support From Public Universities
The NAACP has launched a national campaign calling on Black athletes, recruits, families, fans, alumni and consumers to withhold athletic and financial support from major public universities in states the organization says are weakening Black voting representation.
The campaign, called “Out of Bounds,” was announced Tuesday and focuses on eight states: Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Georgia.
The NAACP said those states have moved to limit, weaken or erase Black voting representation following the Supreme Court’s 6 to 3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais. The campaign was also confirmed in national reporting and on the NAACP’s official campaign page.
The NAACP said the campaign is aimed at flagship public athletic programs that generate more than $100 million in annual revenue while continuing to recruit Black athletes in states where Black political representation is being challenged or reduced.
NAACP Says College Sports Cannot Be Separated From Voting Rights
“What these states have done is not a policy disagreement. It is a sprint to erase Black political power,” said Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP.
“These actions happened in days, in some cases in hours, of a Supreme Court ruling that gives extremist lawmakers a playbook to erode Black representation. The NAACP will not watch the same institutions that depend on Black athletic prowess to fill their stadiums and their bank accounts remain silent while their states strip Black communities of their voice. Out of Bounds is our answer: we are naming the contradiction, and we are calling on Black athletes, families, fans, and consumers to act on it. The same power that built these programs can be redirected. And it will be.”
The organization said the economic stakes are significant, noting that flagship universities in the eight targeted states collectively generate billions of dollars in annual athletic revenue.
The main ask of the campaign is directed at top football and basketball recruits. The NAACP is calling on them to withhold commitments from targeted programs until those states restore fair congressional maps and meaningful Black representation.
The campaign also calls on current college athletes, including those already enrolled at targeted programs, to consider their options, including the transfer portal. The organization is also urging athletes to use their platforms and NIL reach to elevate voting rights and fair redistricting.
Recruits, Current Athletes And Fans Are Asked To Take Action
“This generation of Black athletes understands something that those who came before them were never afforded the chance to say so plainly: your talent is yours, and so is your community’s political power,” said Tylik McMillan, National Director of the NAACP Youth and College Division. “
These are not separate issues. The state that is working to erase your grandmother’s congressional district is the same state whose governor will stand on the field and celebrate your touchdown or game-winning shot. We are asking young people, recruits, current athletes, fans, to see that connection clearly and to act on it. The Out of Bounds campaign is about redirecting what has always been ours, power and perseverance.”
The campaign includes calls to action for three groups.
Black athletes and recruits are being asked to withhold commitments from targeted programs, ask coaches and athletic directors where their universities stand on voting rights, and visit and seriously consider HBCUs.
Current college athletes are being asked to use their platforms to elevate the issue, ask university leaders to publicly oppose racial vote dilution, and consider all available options under the transfer portal.
Fans, alumni, donors and consumers are being asked to stop buying tickets, merchandise and licensed apparel from targeted programs. The NAACP is encouraging them to redirect that spending to HBCUs, including athletic programs, scholarship funds, NIL collectives, bands and alumni foundations.
Campaign Will Continue Until States Change Course
The NAACP said “Out of Bounds” will remain in effect until targeted states adopt state level voting rights protections, repeal maps that dilute Black voting power, restore congressional and judicial districts that reflect the strength of Black populations, and commit to transparent redistricting processes centered on impacted communities.
The organization’s message is direct: “No Representation. No Recruitment. No Revenue.”
The campaign places college athletics directly inside the national fight over voting rights, using the financial power of sports to pressure states and institutions that benefit from Black athletes while remaining silent on policies affecting Black political representation.
