In the case of Louisiana v. Callais, the U.S. Supreme Court examined Louisiana’s congressional map and whether the state could create a second majority-Black district to address vote dilution. But when the Court struck down that map, voting-rights advocates saw it as a call to action. To them, this decision further weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and made it harder to challenge maps that reduce Black voters’ political power. That ruling set the stage for the NAACP’s next move. 

The organization’s argument is that many Southern states continue to build some of their most profitable college sports programs on the talent of Black athletes, especially in football and basketball, while their governments are accused of limiting Black political representation. So, instead of treating the issue as separate from sports, the NAACP tied the two together through its “Out of Bounds” campaign, launched on May 19.

“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 voices,” said Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, in a statement.

The campaign is an economic boycott aimed at protesting the dilution of Black voting rights and political representation. Following the latest ruling, redistricting fights have intensified across the South, with several Republican-led legislatures moving quickly to redraw congressional maps. Civil rights groups argue that those efforts could weaken or erase Black voting power, while Republicans have maintained that the changes are needed to comply with the Court’s ruling and meet legal standards.

The NAACP campaign identifies eight priority states. Those include Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The focus is on flagship public athletic programs in states with major football and basketball brands, many of which generate huge annual revenues and depend heavily on Black athletes for their success. The civil rights organization’s motive is that these programs should not profit from Black talent while their states are accused of diluting Black political influence. It asked high school athletes to withhold commitments from the targeted schools and choose HBCUs instead.

Then, it urged enrolled scholar-athletes to consider entering the transfer portal and use their NIL reach to advocate for fair voting maps. Meanwhile, alumni and fans are being asked to stop purchasing tickets, merchandise and licensed apparel, and instead redirect those financial resources toward HBCU programs and related organizations. The NAACP has said the campaign will continue until the targeted states adopt voting-rights protections, repeal maps it says dilute Black voting power and commit to more transparent redistricting processes.

“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,” said Tylik McMillan, the NAACP’s national director of the College Division.

Simply put, to pressure public universities to speak up against their state governments, the NAACP is leveraging the million-dollar economic power of Black student-athletes.

However, the campaign comes at a time when it may struggle to create an immediate roster-level impact. Neither Division 1 football nor basketball will have its portal open until 2027, leaving current athletes with limited options to participate through transfers right away. High school prospects may withhold their commitment or choose to decommit, but most verbal commitments are nonbinding, and signing windows are still months away. Basketball’s signing window opens in mid-November, while football’s early signing period comes in the first week of December.

That gives the campaign a longer runway with future recruiting classes, but it also makes the ask complicated. Many recruits are teenagers weighing scholarships, NIL opportunities, playing time and long-term career prospects, so asking them to factor state politics into that decision could prove difficult, even if the campaign’s message resonates.

NAACP campaign gets backing

The Congressional Black Caucus supports the NAACP’s “Out of Bounds” campaign. The CBC sent a joint letter to NCAA President Charlie Baker and the conference leaders. Unless they push back against racial vote dilution, the CBC will oppose the SCORE Act, which relates to athletes’ NIL and contracts.

“The Congressional Black Caucus cannot support legislation benefiting major athletic institutions that continue to remain silent while black voting rights and black political power are being systematically dismantled across the South,” Rep. Yvette Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said.

Following the caucus’s announcement, the SCORE Act was removed from the House committee’s schedule. Clarke later framed that move as proof that silence from major institutions can carry consequences. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also said athletes would ultimately have to make their own choices, but added that lawmakers and civil rights leaders would support them if they chose to use their leverage.