Don’t Turn College Sports Into a Political Weapon

By Bruce Pearl

There was a time in America when sports brought people together.

It didn’t matter whether you were Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal, from a big city or a small Southern town. Fans packed stadiums, students wore school colors with pride, and communities rallied behind young athletes chasing excellence.

In the SEC, that spirit is still alive.

That’s why recent calls from Democratic leaders and activist organizations urging athletes to avoid SEC schools in states where Republicans have led redistricting efforts are so troubling. Instead of encouraging unity, they are injecting more division and politics into one of the last places Americans still come together.

When House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the NAACP suggest athletes should boycott schools in conservative-led states, they are sending a dangerous message: if Americans vote the “wrong” way, they deserve to be punished economically, culturally, and socially until they submit.

That is not leadership. That is coercion of young men and women trying to build a future for themselves and their families.

An 18-year-old recruit considering Auburn, Alabama, LSU, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, or Texas should not have endure political intimidation before deciding where to attend college. Student-athletes should focus on academics, coaching, opportunity, player development, faith, culture, and relationships.

The SEC represents some of the greatest universities, athletic traditions, and communities in America. These schools have helped millions of students — especially first-generation college students and minority athletes — achieve dreams their families never thought possible.

I have coached players from every background imaginable. What mattered in our locker room was commitment, discipline, accountability, teamwork, and love for one another. Not partisan politics. That’s the beauty of sports.

The same people who lecture Americans about inclusion and tolerance are openly encouraging political discrimination.

Millions of Americans living in SEC states support conservative leadership because they believe in secure borders, safer communities, lower taxes, energy independence, school choice, parental rights, religious liberty, and economic opportunity. Those voters are not extremists—they are hardworking Americans exercising their constitutional rights.

The SEC is successful because it reflects core American values: hard work, competition, pride in community, faith, patriotism, resilience, and personal responsibility.

I also think this boycott fundamentally misunderstands athletes. Most recruits are focused on developing their talents, earning a degree, supporting their families, and preparing for the future. They are not interested in becoming props for national political campaigns—and they shouldn’t have to be.

One question worth asking: If this proclamation was made 20 years ago, how many African American men and women would have been affected? How many would have been discouraged from attending SEC schools, and robbed of life-changing opportunities that changed their family tree? How many families would be worse off because the potential for a scholarship, degree, or professional success was snuffed out before it could even begin? These are not abstract questions. These decisions affect real families for generations.

I also fundamentally reject the idea that conservative states are hostile environments for minority athletes. Black, Hispanic and other athletes are celebrated across the SEC. They are leaders on campus, stars in their communities, and beloved by fans who care about effort, character, and success.

Sports has always had the power to transcend politics because competition creates mutual respect. Teammates learn to trust one another regardless of background. Fans unite around shared pride and common purpose.

As a Jewish basketball coach living in Alabama, I have experienced that unity firsthand. I have felt safe, welcomed, and supported because of my faith and the relationships built through teaching and coaching. While cynics in New York and Washington might try to goad us into falling for their divisive rhetoric and political litmus tests, the communities I have been privileged to serve value character, commitment, and relationships far more than these shallow labels. Because in the SEC, it just means more.

America needs more of that right now.

If leaders disagree with redistricting policies, they should debate them, campaign against them, and vote. That’s how democracy works.

But punishing schools and student-athletes because voters chose Republican leadership is a dangerous road to go down.

College sports should remain one of the few places where people from different backgrounds can come together and build relationships rooted in something bigger than politics.

And to every athlete and family considering an SEC school, my message is simple: do not let politicians decide your future.

Choose the place that will help you grow as a student, athlete, and person. Choose the coaches who believe in you. Choose the community that feels like home.

Sports should unite us. The SEC still does. And that is worth protecting.

Coach Bruce Pearl is the former head coach of the Auburn Tigers basketball team and currently serves as Senior Fellow for the American Dream at the America First Policy Institute.