The NAACP and Congressional Black Caucus on Tuesday announced the “Out of Bounds” campaign, a coordinated effort to leverage the economic and athletic influence of Black college athletes against states they say have restricted Black voting power. The campaign specifically targets public university athletic programs in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and South Carolina.
In a statement, the groups called on current and prospective Black athletes, their families, alumni and fans to “withhold athletic and financial support” from major public universities in those states. The NAACP said the targeted states have “moved to limit, weaken or erase Black voting representation” through recent legislative and redistricting actions.
The boycott targets powerhouse football and basketball programs that belong to the Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference. Black athletes account for a large share of rosters in those conferences, particularly in football and men’s and women’s basketball. According to data cited by the NAACP, Black athletes make up more than half of all players in SEC football and a majority in SEC men’s basketball, giving the campaign significant leverage.
“The Black athlete has long been a driver of both revenue and cultural influence for college sports,” the NAACP said in materials accompanying the campaign launch. “We are asking them to use that leverage to demand that their home states protect their fundamental right to vote.”
The Congressional Black Caucus, led by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and Representative Yvette Clarke of New York, endorsed the campaign. Clarke said the initiative “connects the dots between the playing field and the ballot box.”
The campaign comes amid a broader national debate over voting rights and redistricting following recent Supreme Court rulings that weakened parts of the Voting Rights Act. Several Southern states have enacted new voter ID laws, reduced early voting periods, and redrawn congressional maps that civil rights groups argue dilute the influence of Black voters.
The targeted states are home to flagship public universities whose athletic programs generate hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue. The University of Alabama, Auburn University, the University of Florida, the University of Georgia, Louisiana State University, the University of Mississippi, the University of Texas and the University of South Carolina all field major football and basketball programs that regularly appear in national championships and television broadcasts.
Former NFL player Brandon Copeland, who played at the University of Pennsylvania and later in the league, voiced support for the campaign on social media, calling it “a necessary step to hold states accountable for attacking our democracy.”
NCAA President Charlie Baker has not publicly commented on the boycott. The Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The NAACP said the campaign will include digital advertising, campus organizing and partnerships with alumni networks in the targeted states. The groups plan to release a scorecard rating each state’s voting laws and track whether universities take public positions on voting rights legislation.