College athletes are pushing for voter turnout and largely avoiding controversy as the election approaches

Lily Meskers faced an unexpected decision ahead of the first major election in which she can vote.

The 19-year-old University of Montana sprinter was among the state’s college athletes who received an inquiry from Montana Together asking if she would participate in a name, image and likeness deal in support of Sen. Jon Tester, a three-term Democrat is seeking re-election. The group, which is not affiliated with the Tester campaign, offered between $400 and $2,400 to athletes willing to produce video endorsements.

Meskers, who is from Colorado but is registered to vote in Montana, opted out of the deal because she disagrees with Tester’s votes on the legislation in question Transgender athletes in sports.

“I thought, OK, I think this is a political move to win back some voters that he may have lost,” Meskers said. “And as a student-athlete myself, I wouldn’t give my support to someone who I felt didn’t have the same support for me.”

Professional athletes like LeBron James, Colin Kaepernick and Stephen Curry have taken prominent positions on current issues and political campaigns in recent years, but college athletes are significantly less outspoken – even when there is money, according to experts at NIL Field. Outwardly political behavior can reflect negatively on the school or jeopardize potential endorsement deals with brands that don’t want controversy. It can certainly boost an athlete’s public image – for better or worse – or cause tension with teammates and coaches who may not feel the same way.

There are examples of political activism by college athletes: A Texas Tech kicker announced his support for former President Donald Trump on a shirt under his uniform at a game last week and a handful of Nebraska athletes a few days ago joined forces in a campaign ad opposing an abortion measure on Tuesday’s ballot.

However, such steps are considered rare.

“It can be seen as risky, and there may be people who tell them that they just shouldn’t take that risk because they haven’t done it yet,” said Lauren Walsh, who ran a sports branding agency 15 years ago founded. She said there is often too much to lose for themselves, their carers and, in some cases, their families.

“And these individuals still have to figure out what they want to do with the rest of their lives, even those who do end up getting drafted,” she added.

College coaches aren’t always so reserved. Auburn men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl has used social media to make clear that he does not support Kamala Harris, Trump’s Democratic opponent in next week’s presidential election. Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy once caused a stir with a star player because he was wearing a jersey Advertising for a right-wing extremist news agency.

Blake Lawrence, co-founder of NIL platform Opendorse, noted that this is the first presidential election in the NIL era started in July 2021. He said athletes were flocking to opportunities to increase turnout in the 18-24 age group, adding that one of his company’s partners had 86 athletes take to social media in the first half of the week. Post messages to encourage voter turnout.

He said athletes shy away from supporting certain candidates or causes that are considered partisan.

“Student-athletes, for the most part, are still developing their confidence to endorse any type of product or service,” he said. “So if they are hesitant to advocate for a local restaurant or an e-commerce product, then they will certainly be hesitant to use their social channels politically.”

Giving athletes a voice

Many college athletes have chosen to focus on increasing voter turnout in a nonpartisan way or simply using their platforms to promote viewpoints that are not directly political in nature. Some of these efforts can be found in contested states.

A progressive group called NextGen America said it has signed players in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Virginia to encourage young people to vote. Another organization, The Team, said it has prepared 27 college athletes in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Arizona and Michigan to provide volunteer turnout opportunities for students. The organization also said it got more than 625 coaches to sign a bipartisan pledge to have their athletes register to vote.

The team’s general manager is Joe Kennedy, a former coach who coordinated championship visits and other sporting events at the White House during President Barack Obama’s administration. A Zoom event was held there in early October, with panelists including NCAA President Charlie Baker and WNBA players Nneka Ogwumike and Natasha Cloud offering advice to college athletes about using their platforms on campus.

In its early days, the team benefited from record turnout in the 2020 election. The NCAA said this year that Division I athletes could have time off from practice and games on Election Day to vote. Lisa Kay Solomon, founder of the All Vote No Play campaign, said even if athletes don’t immediately take a stand on controversial issues, it’s important they learn how.

“A lot is asked of our young people to feel capable and confident in skills they have never had the chance to practice,” Solomon said. “We need to model what it means to practice, to take risks, to stand up for yourself, to stop and think about what values ​​you hold dear – not what social media feeds into your brain, but what you hold dear.” how do you put that? And how do you do that in a way that honors the future you want to be a part of?”

Keep quiet and play?

Two years ago, Tennessee Martin quarterback Dresser Winn said he would support a local candidate in a race for attorney general, in what experts say is most likely the first NIL political deal by a college athlete.

Since then there have been very few.

The public criticism and consequences for athletes who speak out on political or social issues can be severe. Kaepernick, the Super Bowl-winning quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, hasn’t played in an NFL game since January 2017, Not long after he started kneeling during the national anthem at games.

Meskers, the Montana sprinter, said political support from NIL deals could cause problems for athletes and their schools.

“I just think NIL will be in a lot of trouble and trouble if they continue to allow political support for athletes,” she said. “I just find it chaotic.” But overall I support NIL. I think it’s really difficult to make a financial income and support yourself as a student-athlete.”

Walsh said it was easier for wealthy and experienced stars like James and Ogwumike to take a stand. James, the Los Angeles Lakers star, founded More Than a Vote in 2020 – an organization with a mission to “educate, motivate and protect Black voters.” He has handed over the reins to Ogwumike, who just completed her 13th year in the WNBA, and is also president of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association. This year’s “More than a Vote” focus is on women’s rights and reproductive freedom.

“They have very established brands,” Walsh said. “They know who they are and what their political stance is. They know they have a really strong following – there’s always going to be haters, but they’re also always going to have this strong following of people who listen to everything they have to say.”

Audra Gillespie, an associate professor at Emory University who teaches African-American politics, also said that it is rare for a college athlete to make a significant impact with a political stance simply because they tend to represent a regional rather than a national platform. Even celebrities like Taylor Swift and Eminem are better at driving voter turnout than advocating for candidates.

“They definitely do a lot to increase the turnout of their fans,” Gillespie said. “The data gives less insight into whether it is persuasive or not – is it the thing that can convince you to vote for a particular candidate?”

Athletes as influencers

Still, campaigns know that young voters are critical this election cycle, and athletes provide an effective and trusted voice to reach them.

Political and social issues aren’t often addressed, but this week, six Nebraska athletes – five softball players and one volleyball player – appeared in an ad The campaign, funded by the group Protect Women and Children, includes two initiatives on abortion laws that will be on the ballot Tuesday.

The athletes supported Initiative 434, which would amend the state constitution to ban abortions after the first trimester, with exceptions. Star softball player Jordy Bahl said on social media that the athletes were not paid.

A University of Montana spokesman said two athletes initially agreed to participate in the NIL deal in support of Tester. The school said one withdrew and the other declined an interview.

For Meskers, the decision against the bid amounted to Tester twice voting against proposals to block federal funding for attending schools that allow transgender athletes to play women’s sports, a key GOP campaign issue. Tester’s campaign said the proposals were changes to government spending packages and he did not want to play a role in derailing them as government shutdowns threatened.

“As a former public school teacher and school board member, Jon Tester believes these decisions should be made at the local level,” a Tester spokesman said. “He never voted for men to compete against women.”

Meskers said she believes it is good to make an impact as college athletes and that she supports NIL. She just doesn’t think the two should mix specifically to support candidates.

“I think, especially as student-athletes, we have such a big voice and a platform to use,” she said. “I think that’s a great thing.”

___

AP High School Sports: and AP politics: https://apnews.com/politics