Spectators at the University of Michigan football game against Texas on Saturday were reminded of a different rival before the game: Ohio State.
At the Big House in Ann Arbor, Michigan, an aerial banner paid for by the Democratic National Committee and pulled by small airplanes read: “JD Vance <3 Ohio State + Project 2025." It's a tongue-in-cheek reference to the Republican vice presidential nominee, who got his bachelor's degree from Ohio State University, and the dense conservative blueprint by the Heritage Foundation for a potential second Trump term.
From the tailgates until kickoff, fans at separate college football games in battleground states on Saturday saw aerial banners paid for by the Democratic National Committee, according to details first shared with CBS News.
DNC
The trolling by the DNC comes as they look to keep the election front-of-mind for battleground state voters, particularly younger voters.
A banner flew over Michigan Stadium, where the defending national champion Wolverines lost to Texas,
Penn State’s Bowling Green matchup got more general messages urging fans to “Beat Trump, Sack Project 2025.” The bannet set to fly over Georgia’s home game was grounded due to weather.
At the University of Wisconsin vs. South Dakota game in Madison, Wisconsin, the banner said: “Jump Around! Beat Trump + Project 2025,” referencing the football team’s fourth-quarter tradition.
“The DNC is reaching voters where they are,” DNC spokesperson Abhi Rahman told CBS News ahead of the weekend. “These banners carry a message that resonates with fans and reminds them that the most important contest is still to come in November.”
Trump and his campaign have sought to distance themselves from Project 2025, though a CBS News analysis has found hundreds of its proposals match Trump’s past and proposed campaign promises.
Vance has alluded to the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry during his own campaign stops in Michigan.
“To my Ohio brethren, guys, we gotta win Michigan. That’s the most important thing this election cycle,” he said at a July event in Grand Rapids.
Other outside political groups are also looking to tap into the intersection of college sports and politics.
NextGen America, a non-partisan youth voter engagement organization, is paying hundreds of student-athletes in the battleground states to get them to use their platforms to encourage others to vote.
The payment makes them one of the first political organizations to utilize the “Name, Image, and Likeness” (NIL) ruling that enables athletes to monetize their personal brand.
“Sports is a fantastic way of tapping into the cultural zeitgeist of the nation,” NextGen America Vice President of Communications Antion Arellano told CBS News.
The battle over the young vote
Sustaining the support President Biden received from college-aged voters in 2020 is key for Vice President Kamala Harris‘ campaign.
In 2020, Mr. Biden easily garnered more support from voters 18 to 24 years old than former President Donald Trump (65%) as well as those between 25 to 29 (54%), according to a CBS News exit poll. Voters under 30 years old made up 38% of new voters in that election, according to the Pew Research Center.
But comparatively, younger voters turn out at significantly lower numbers than older voters.
Voter turnout in the 2020 elections for those between the ages of 18 to 24 was just 51.4%, compared to 76% for those between 65 to 74 years old, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This was an increase from 2016 when 46.1% of those between 18 and 29 years old turned out to vote.
Both candidates are being backed by college outreach programs.
Turning Point USA, an organization founded for outreach to young conservative voters, has hosted Trump and Vance at multiple events.
The group said they’ve focused on outreach to Greek life on Arizona and Wisconsin campuses, in addition to having booths at tailgates during college gamedays. Turning Point USA’s founder, Charlie Kirk, also plans to go to over 22 campuses in swing states. Some of his visits so far to Arizona and Wisconsin have been open debates with students, and the organization says it has led to hundreds of new voter registrations.
Earlier this month, the Harris campaign launched a “Back-to-School” campaign targeting 150 college campuses in the battleground states with social media and campus newspaper ads, visits from surrogates, as well as a doubling of its staff dedicated to youth engagement. They’re also running ads during college football games this fall.
Likely voters under 30 years old heavily lean towards Harris, according to an August CBS News poll. There has also been a 175% increase in young Black women registering to vote since the vice president became the nominee, according to data firm TargetSmart.
But young voters were also the group with the lowest marks in terms of saying they “definitely” will vote in November, according to the CBS News poll.
Engagement with social media influencers and content creators has also been frequent this cycle. The Democratic National Convention credentialed more than 200 influencers to attend in person, with some interviewing Harris or her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Trump himself has appeared on multiple podcasts or streaming shows geared toward younger audiences.
Earlier this summer, he appeared on internet celebrity Adin Ross’ stream. The appearance was panned by Democratic critics who pointed to Ross’ show hosting white supremacist Nick Fuentes, as well as his ties to social media influencer Andrew Tate, who has faced allegations of human trafficking with minors.
“Make the move now, all you young people,” Trump told viewers on Ross’ show.
