Sports

NAACP Urges Top Recruits To 'Boycott' Several Major Schools

NAACP National President and CEO Derrick Johnson is officially calling for Black athletes to boycott some of the top colleges in the country.

The NAACP launched its "Out of Bounds" campaign this Tuesday, which urges Black athletes and their families to steer clear of universities in states that voted in favor of weakening the Voting Rights Act.

"Black athletes should not be asked to generate wealth, prestige, and power for state institutions while those same states strip political power from Black communities," Johnson said, via The Associated Press. "We will fight with all we have in solidarity with the Congressional Black Caucus to ensure that we have representation, or if we don't, we will withhold the talent that plays on the football field or on the basketball court, be they male or female."

If athletes end up participating in the "Out of Bounds" campaign that would seriously impact the following schools:

  • Alabama
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • LSU
  • Ole Miss
  • South Carolina
  • Texas
 Jan 1, 2026; New Orleans, LA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart congratulates tight end Oscar Delp (4) and linebacker Quintavius Johnson (33) after a play against the Mississippi Rebels in the second quarter during the 2025 Sugar Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
Jan 1, 2026; New Orleans, LA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart congratulates tight end Oscar Delp (4) and linebacker Quintavius Johnson (33) after a play against the Mississippi Rebels in the second quarter during the 2025 Sugar Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images © Amber Searls-Imagn Images.

This campaign isn't exclusive to athletes.

The NAACP is also asking alumni and fans to "withhold athletic and financial support" for colleges that reside in U.S. states that "weakened or erased Black voting representation."

"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," NAACP's national director of youth and college division Tylik McMillan said, via CBS Sports.

We'll see if SEC schools fire back at the NAACP.

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This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 5:19 PM.

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