College football fans attending the four high-profile games in Week 2 will see something very different in the skies above stadiums in key battleground states: The Democratic National Committee plans to fly planes bearing banners reminding fans of the Republican presidential candidates' ties to Project 2025, while also poking fun at Michigan State's J.D. Vance.
The DNC provided SB Nation with the following creative for four banner planes that will fly over University of Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Sanford Field in Georgia, Camp Randall Stadium at University of Wisconsin-Madison and Beaver Stadium at Penn State:
Texas vs. Michigan: “J.D. Vance [heart] Ohio State University + Project 2025
Bowling Green vs. Penn State: “Penn State: Defeat Trump, Abolish Project 2025”
Tennessee Tech vs. University of Georgia: “Bulldogs: Defeat Trump and Abolish Project 2025”
South Dakota v. Wisconsin: “Jump and spin! Defeat Trump + Project 2025”
It's part of the Democratic National Committee's November plan to boost college voter turnout while also reminding fans of the controversial “Project 2025” that the Trump campaign is trying to distance itself from. Written by the Heritage Foundation, Project 2025 outlines a blueprint for the country in the context of a second term for President Trump. Vox.com has a detailed breakdown What Project 2025 means for the United States and why it matters so much.
Legal experts express serious concerns about Project 2025 and the explicit purpose of leading the United States towards authoritarianism. Public outcry against the document led Donald Trump to claim that the Heritage Foundation's plan did not represent his policies and to say he knew nothing about Project 2025. This was despite extensive ties between Trump and the Heritage Foundation, which was a cornerstone of his first presidential term.
The Democratic National Convention is currently targeting four battleground states that will be critical in determining the outcome of the November election: Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Wisconsin. The DNC explained its motivation for targeting these college football games in a statement provided to SB Nation by DNC Deputy Communications Director Avi Rahman.
“It's college football Saturday and fans are ready to knock off their rivals and defeat Project 2025. Project 2025 would give unprecedented power to Trump, allowing him to ban abortions nationwide, allow the government to monitor pregnancies and give tax cuts to billionaires. The Democratic National Committee is reaching out to voters in battleground states across the country with Project 2025 banners hanging in the Big House in Michigan, Sanford Stadium in Georgia, Beaver Stadium at Penn State and Camp Randall Stadium in Wisconsin. These banners carry a message that resonates with fans and remind them that the most important battle still lies in November. The contrasts in this election couldn't be clearer and we have a winning strategy: commit to Project 2025, fight back at the finish line and run the 99 yards in the other direction for a fairer and more equal America for all.”
Rahman said the first banners would begin hanging above the fixture list at midday and remain up throughout the day.
