KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As the United States recognizes today, September 22, as National Voter Registration Day, a total of 1,016 coaches and counting across college and high school basketball have formally pledged to support student-athlete voter registration and turnout this election season.
The Coaches’ Voter Engagement Pledge was launched in July as part of the student-athlete voting initiative from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the nonpartisan ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. Coaches from all levels of the sport were encouraged to pledge their commitment to registering 100 percent of their eligible student-athletes and to support voter education and turnout.
The 1,000-plus pledges include representation from 83 percent of NCAA Division I institutions and feature signatures from all three NCAA divisions, the NAIA, two-year colleges and high school programs.
Sixteen Division I conferences – the American, Atlantic 10, ACC, America East, Big 12, Big Sky, Big Ten, Big West, CAA, Ivy League, Mountain West, Northeast, Pac-12, Patriot, SEC and Sun Belt – have achieved 100-percent participation from their member schools.
“Coaches are passionate about helping develop their student-athletes not just as basketball players, but as engaged citizens as well,” said NABC Executive Director Craig Robinson. “I’m extremely proud of our game’s coaches for rallying behind the important topic of student-athlete voter engagement. Thanks to their efforts, voting will be a priority in basketball programs this year and for years to come.”
The Coaches’ Voter Engagement Pledge is one of multiple elements to the NABC-ALL IN collaboration. The Coaches’ Voter Engagement Playbook was developed last month as a comprehensive resource to help coaches support student-athlete voter registration, education and turnout. Additionally, 120 coaches joined the Coaches’ Voter Education Task Force to serve as an advisory group for fellow coaches.
In the weeks leading up to Election Day, the NABC and ALL IN will continue to provide resources to coaches as they support student-athlete participation in the voting process.
