College athletes push for voter turnout while largely avoiding controversy as election nears

Lily Meskers faced an unexpected choice in the lead-up to the first major election she can vote in.

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

Meskers, who is from Colorado but registered to vote in Montana, decided against the deal because she disagrees with Tester's votes on legislation involving transgender athletes in sports.

“I was like, okay, I believe that this is a political move to try to gain back some voters that he might have lost,” Meskers said. “And me being a female student-athlete myself, I was not going to give my endorsement to someone who I felt didn’t have the same support for me.”

Professional athletes such as LeBron James, Colin Kaepernick and Stephen Curry have taken high-profile stances on hot-button topics and political campaigns in recent years, but college athletes are far less outspoken — even if money is available, according to experts in the NIL field. Being outwardly political can reflect on their school or endanger potential endorsement deals from brands that don’t want controversy. It can certainly establish a public image for an athlete — for better or for worse — or lead to tensions with teammates and coaches who might not feel the same way.

There are examples of political activism by college athletes: A Texas Tech kicker revealed 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 teamed up in a campaign ad against an abortion measure on the Tuesday's ballot.

Still, such steps are considered rare.

“It can be viewed as risky and there may be people telling them just don’t even take that chance because they haven’t made it yet,” said Lauren Walsh, who started a sports branding agency 15 years ago. She said there is often too much to lose for themselves, their handlers and in some cases, their families.

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

College coaches are not always as reticent. Auburn men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl has used social media to make it clear 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 for wearing a shirt promoting a far-right news outlet.

Blake Lawrence, co-founder of the NIL platform Opendorse, noted that this is the first presidential election in the NIL era, which began in July 2021. He said athletes are flocking to opportunities to help increase voter turnout in the 18-to-24 age demographic, adding that one of his company’s partners has had 86 athletes post social media messages encouraging turnout through the first half of the week.

He said athletes are shying away from endorsing specific candidates or causes that are considered partisan.

“Student-athletes are, for the most part, still developing their confidence in endorsing any type of product or service,” he said. “So if they are hesitant to put their weight behind supporting a local restaurant or an e-commerce product, then they are certainly going to be hesitant to use their social channels in a political way.”

Many college athletes have opted to focus on drumming up turnout in a non-partisan manner or simply using their platforms to take stands that are not directly political in nature. Some of those efforts can be found in battleground states.

A progressive group called NextGen America said it had signed players in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Virginia to encourage voting among young people. Another organization, The Team, said it prepped 27 college athletes in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Arizona and Michigan to lead volunteer voter participation opportunities for students. The organization also said it got more than 625 coaches to sign a nonpartisan pledge to get their athletes registered to vote.

The Team's executive director is Joe Kennedy, a former coach who coordinated championship visits and other sporting events at the White House during President Barack Obama's administration. In early October, it hosted a Zoom event during which panelists such as NCAA President Charlie Baker and WNBA players Nneka Ogwumike and Natasha Cloud gave college athletes advice about using their platforms on campus.

In its early days, The Team seized upon momentum from the record turnout seen in the 2020 election. The NCAA that year said Division I athletes could have Election Day off from practice and play to vote. Lisa Kay Solomon, founder of the All Vote No Play campaign, said even if the athletes don’t immediately take stands on controversial issues, it’s important for them to learn how.

“It is a lot to ask our young people to feel capable and confident on skills they’ve never had a chance to practice,” Solomon said. “We have to model what it means to practice taking risks, practice standing up for yourself, practice pausing to think about what are the values that you care about — not what social media is feeding into your brain, but what do you care about and how do you express that? And how do you do it in a way that honors the kind of future that you want to be a part of?”

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

There have been very few since.

The public criticism and fallout for athletes who speak out on politics or social issue can be sharp. 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 began kneeling during the national anthem at games.

Meskers, the Montana sprinter, said political endorsements through NIL deals could create problems for athletes and their schools.

“I just think that NIL is going to run into a lot of trouble and a lot of struggles if they continue to let athletes do political endorsements," she said. "I just think it’s messy. But I stand by NIL as a whole. I think it’s really hard as a student athlete to create a financial income and support yourself.”

Walsh said it's easier for wealthy and veteran stars like James and Ogwumike to take stands. James, the Los Angeles Lakers star, started More Than a Vote — an organization with a mission to “educate, energize and protect Black voters” — in 2020. He has passed the leadership to Ogwumike, who just finished her 13th year in the WNBA and also is the president of the Women's National Basketball Players Association. More than a Vote is focused on women's rights and reproductive freedom this year.

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

Audra Gillespie, an associate professor at Emory University who teaches African American politics, also said it is rare that a college athlete would make a significant impact with a political stand simply because they tend to have a more regional platform than national. Even celebrities like Taylor Swift and Eminem are better at increasing turnout than championing candidates.

“They are certainly very beneficial in helping to drive up turnout among their fans,” Gillespie said. “The data is less conclusive about whether or not they’re persuasive – are they the ones who are going to persuade you to vote for a particular candidate?”

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

Political and social topics are not often broached, but this week six Nebraska athletes — five softball players and a volleyball player — appeared in an ad paid for by the group Protect Women and Children involving two initiatives about abortion laws on Tuesday's ballot.

The female athletes backed Initiative 434, which would amend the state constitution to prohibit 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 spokesperson said two athletes initially agreed to take part in the NIL deal backing Tester. The school said one withdrew and the other declined to be interviewed.

For Meskers, deciding against the offer boiled down to Tester twice voting against proposals to bar federal funds from going to schools that allow transgender athletes to play women's sports, a prominent GOP campaign topic. Tester's campaign said the proposals were amendments to government spending packages, and he didn’t want to play a role in derailing them as government shutdowns loomed.

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

Meskers said she believes using influence as college athletes is good and she is in favor of NIL. She just doesn't think the two should mix specifically for supporting candidates.

“I think especially as student athletes, we do have such a big voice and we do have a platform to use," she said. “So I think if you’re encouraging people to do their civic duties and get up and go (vote), I think that’s a great thing.”

AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports and AP politics: https://apnews.com/politics

FILE - NCAA President Charlie Baker speaks as he gives his state of college sports address at the association's annual convention Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

FILE - Seattle Storm player Nneka Ogwumike smiles at a press conference in Seattle, Monday, Feb. 19, 2024. (Erika Schultz/The Seattle Times via AP, File)

FILE - Phoenix Mercury guard Natasha Cloud (0) celebrates after making a shot while fouled during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Minnesota Lynx, Friday, May 31, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr, File)

FILE - Nebraska's Rebekah Allick (5) celebrates a kill against Iowa during the first set of a college volleyball match, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, at the Devaney Center in Lincoln, Neb. (Nikos Frazier/Omaha World-Herald via AP, File)

FILE - Nebraska's Jordy Bahl bats during a scrimmage, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, at Bowlin Stadium in Lincoln, Neb. (Nikos Frazier/Omaha World-Herald via AP, File)

FILE - Nebraska softball player Jordy Bahl speaks during a news conference Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, at Bowlin Stadium in Lincoln, Neb. (Nikos Frazier/Omaha World-Herald via AP, File)

This handout provided by Lily Meskers shows University of Montana track athlete Lily Meskers. (Lily Meskers via AP)

This handout provided by the University of Montana Athletic Department shows track athlete Lily Meskers, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Missoula, Montana. (Ryan Brennecke/University of Montana via AP)

FILE - Students at The University of Wisconsin-Madison fill out ballots during the first day of Wisconsin's in-person absentee voting on the campus in Madison, Wisc., Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/John Hart, Wisconsin State Journal, File)

FILE - Voters fill out their ballots in booths on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, at Petersen Residence Hall on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City, Iowa. (Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen via AP, File)

FILE - A 19-foot Airstream Caravel on loan to the League of Women Voters of Ohio visits the main campus of the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, as the group works to register and engage student voters. (AP Photo/Julie Carr Smyth, File)

Democrat Kamala Harris called Wednesday for Americans to “stop pointing fingers at each other” as she tried to push past comments made by President Joe Biden about Donald Trump’s supporters and “garbage ″ and keep the focus on her Republican opponent in the closing days of the race.

Donald Trump, meanwhile, showered former NFL star Brett Favre with praise on Wednesday at a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where the former Packers quarterback campaigned for the Republican presidential nominee in the final week before Election Day.

Follow the AP’s Election 2024 coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024.

Here's the latest:

Hillary Clinton, the former first lady who ran as the Democratic presidential nominee in 2016, will campaign in Tampa, Florida, on Saturday to support the Harris-Walz campaign.

Clinton, who also served as the secretary of state during the Obama administration, will be attending two get-out-the-vote events to encourage voters to cast their ballots early.

Clinton endorsed Harris after her campaign launched in July, and the former first lady headlined fundraisers and spoke at the Democratic National Convention in support of the vice president.

Gwen Walz, U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath and Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill Johnson campaigned for Harris in Georgia, a key battleground state.

“This election is truly about life or death,” said McBath at a cafe north of Atlanta. “Women, particularly Black women and women of color in our state, are not getting access to the quality health care that they need and deserve.”

Walz, the wife of Harris running mate Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, said now is not the time for supporters to rest.

“This election is the ultimate group project,” said Walz, a teacher by profession. “And guess what? It’s pass/fail.”

At a rally Wednesday, Trump embellished upon an earlier pledge to “protect” women by adding: “I’m gonna do it whether the women like it or not.”

Walz slammed Trump for that comment.

She has a message for the other side, she said, and the crowd chanted it in unison:

“Mr. Trump and Mr. Vance, please mind your own business!”

Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán says he had a phone call with Trump early Thursday in which he wished him luck on Election Day.

Trump regularly praises Orbán during his speeches, reminding supporters that the autocratic leader who has cozied up with Russia and China sees the former president as a respected and feared leader in the world.

Orbán had previously thrown his support for Trump and visited him in his Mar-a-Lago estate in July.

“Just got off the phone with President @realDonaldTrump . I wished him the best of luck for next Tuesday. Only five days to go. Fingers crossed,” Orbán posted on X.

A judge in Philadelphia has put a state challenge of Elon Musk’s $1 million-a-day voter sweepstakes on hold while lawyers for the billionaire and his political action committee try to move the lawsuit to federal court.

The giveaways aim to boost Trump’s presidential campaign through Election Day. Democratic District Attorney Larry Krasner calls the America PAC sweepstakes an illegal lottery under Pennsylvania law.

Experts on election law question whether it violates federal law against vote-buying. Judge Angelo Foglietta heard motions from both sides on Thursday in a City Hall courtroom.

Rapper Cardi B will speak at Vice President Kamala Harris’ rally in Milwaukee on Friday, the latest in a long line of celebrities who have stumped for the Democratic nominee in the closing days of the 2024 campaign.

The Harris campaign announced the addition on Thursday. The event will also feature performances by GloRilla, Flo Milli, MC Lyte, The Isley Brothers, DJ GEMINI GILLY.

This is not the first time Cardi B has jumped into the political fray. The rapper was close to Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign in 2020, including lauding his first run in 2016 and appearing in a video meant to appeal to young voters. She has also been an outspoken critic of Trump and supported President Joe Biden in 2020.

“I’m tired of getting upset every single time I see this man talk,” she said of Trump before Election Day in 2020.

Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk doesn't like a campaign ad for Harris that says a woman doesn't need to consult her husband when choosing who to vote for.

The ad shows a woman in a voting booth, casting a ballot for Harris. Then, as she leaves, her husband asks her if she made “the right choice” — strongly suggesting that the ‘right choice’ is Trump.

“Sure did honey," she responds.

Kirk, speaking on conservative Megyn Kelly’s podcast, labeled the ad “the embodiment of the downfall of the American family.”

The ad was by Vote Common Good, an outside organization that aims to target progressive, religious voters.

Harris has a new campaign ad in Spanish that will air in battleground states that seizes on comments made about Puerto Ricans during a Trump rally.

The ad, in Spanish, questions why a comic at the rally in New York would call the U.S. territory a “floating island of garbage.”

The ad's announcer says: “This Nov. 5 Trump will understand that some people’s trash is others’ treasure.”

Since the rally, Latino celebrities and leaders have come out in support of the Democratic nominee.

The ad is part of a larger $370 million buy, and will air on Univision and Telemundo during high viewership telenovelas, and on digital platforms including El Nuevo Día, YouTube and Snapchat.

Billions of dollars in ads are raining down on voters across the Rust Belt, Rocky Mountains and American Southwest as the two major political parties struggle for control of the U.S. Senate.

Republicans need to pick up two seats to capture a surefire majority, and one of those — West Virginia — is all but in the bag for the GOP.

Republican strategists say they’re targeting seven other states where Democrats are defending seats: Arizona, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Democrats, conversely, say they are forcing competitive contests in two red states, Texas and Nebraska.

Data from political ad tracking firm AdImpact projects that more than $2.5 billion will be spent on advertising in Senate races in this two-year campaign cycle, slightly more than the 2022 total.

Puerto Rican reggaeton singer Nicky Jam has withdrawn his endorsement of Trump.

Tony Hinchcliffe — a comic who called Puerto Rico “garbage” before a packed Trump rally in New York — appears to be the catalyst.

In a video statement posted to his Instagram, Jam says he thought Trump would be good for the economy. But after Hinchcliffe’s comments, he says can no longer support the former president.

Other Puerto Rican superstars have backed Harris, including Bad Bunny and Ricky Martin.

Trump is traveling to New Mexico and Virginia in the campaign’s final days — choosing to stump for votes in states that Republicans haven't won in decades.

The former president will campaign in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Thursday during a swing that will also take him to the battleground states of Arizona and Nevada.

He’ll be in Salem, Virginia, on Saturday. The Trump team is projecting optimism and thinks he can be competitive against Harris in New Mexico and Virginia.

A Philadelphia judge is set to hold a hearing in the city prosecutor’s bid to shut down Elon Musk’s $1 million-a-day sweepstakes in battleground states.

The giveaways come from Musk’s political organization, which aims to boost Donald Trump’s presidential campaign through Election Day.

Democratic District Attorney Larry Krasner hopes to stop the America PAC sweepstakes. Judge Angelo Foglietta will hear motions Thursday on the issue in a City Hall courtroom. Matthew Haverstick is one of several lawyers representing the defendants.

Lawyers for Musk filed a motion late Wednesday seeking to move the case to federal court. However, a spokesperson for Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said Thursday the initial hearing at City Hall was still scheduled.

Across the U.S., people’s phones are pinging with text messages from Donald Trump, Kamala Harris and their allies.

Both sides are working the texting pipeline aggressively in the presidential campaign’s last days. It’s a cheap and easy way to reach millions of potential donors and voters.

It’s also an aggravation for many. At recent Harris and Trump rallies, some of the attendees said enough already. But the texting torrent is not bound to let up before Election Day next week, if it even does then.

A new poll from The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that about 7 in 10 Americans report feeling anxious or frustrated about the 2024 presidential campaign, and a similar share say they’re interested.

Only about one-third say they feel excited.

About 7 in 10 Americans say “anxious” describes how they are feeling ahead of Tuesday. For partisans, anxiety is dialed a little higher than before.

About 8 in 10 Democrats say “anxious” describes how they are feeling now, up slightly from the last election. About two-thirds of Republicans are anxious, a moderate uptick from 2020.

A text is viewed on a mobile device Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Washington, as across the U.S., people's phones are pinging with text messages from Donald Trump, Kamala Harris and their allies in the presidential campaign's final days. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)

People wait in line for a campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at Lee's Family Forum, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in Henderson, Nev. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Stage construction has begun, for a Harris/Walz election eve rally, in front of the Art Museum in Philadelphia on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. (Elizabeth Robertson/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Resch Center, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)