Top Moments When Sports Collided With Politics in 2024

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Sports stars endorse presidential campaigns and federal policies stir controversy.

From presidential campaign rhetoric and endorsements to men in female sports, 2024 has been an eventful year for the intersection of politics and sports.

Expect the connection between the political and sports arenas to continue in 2025, especially with President-elect Donald Trump back in the White House.

“I don’t see much change. I could see how sports league champions might not go to the White House again, especially in the NBA,” conservative commentator Chris Tremoglie told The Epoch Times. “I would say probably only the NBA and maybe WNBA. I think other leagues would go.”

Below are the top sports and politics stories from the past year.

Sports Stars Come Out for Trump and Harris

Some representatives of the wide world of sports endorsed President-elect Donald Trump, while others threw their support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr spoke at the Democratic National Convention in August in support of Harris, who is a fan of the team.

“As a coach and former player, as a husband, a son, a father, even a grandfather, and as an American, I believe in a certain kind of leadership. I believe that leaders must display dignity. I believe that leaders must tell the truth,” he said.

Kerr then copied the gesture Warriors superstar Stephen Curry makes toward the other team when he makes a shot to clinch a game: putting his hands at the side of his head as if he is going to sleep.

“After the results are tallied that night, we can, in the words of the great Steph Curry, we can tell Donald Trump, ‘Night, night,’’” said Kerr.

In a brief video played at the DNC, Curry said Harris could be a unifying figure in the White House.

“This is about preserving hope and belief in our country. Making sure families can be taken care of during the most precious times,” he said.

On the other side, several current and former athletes endorsed Trump.

Former Steelers players Mike Wallace, Le’Veon Bell, and Antonio Brown backed him, and Brown spoke at Trump’s Oct. 19 rally in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

“Donald Trump, he knows success, and he knows what it takes to make America great again,” said Brown. ”And to be real, we have all experienced highs and lows. Especially me, in my career as a Super Bowl champion and life as a father to seven amazing children.”

Active NFL players showed their support for Trump on the field by doing Trump’s signature “Y.M.C.A.” dance move, which consists of moving his fists back and forth to the song. Even 49ers star defensive end Nick Bosa wore a MAGA hat during a post-game interview.

“I think it’s an important time,” he later told the press, declining to go into detail about why he sported the iconic hat.

The NFL slapped an $11,255 fine on Bosa for wearing the hat on the field in violation of a league rule regarding players showcasing “personal messages” while they are “visible” on game day including during post-game interviews.

Title IX Remains a Focus

Title IX remains a flashpoint in the controversy surrounding males playing in female sports.

In April, the Biden administration interpreted Title IX to include transgender athletes, by stating that discrimination under that law includes discrimination based on “gender identity.”

New federal guidance prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender in education programs that get federal taxpayer dollars.

“For more than 50 years, Title IX has promised an equal opportunity to learn and thrive in our nation’s schools free from sex discrimination,” said Education Secretary Miguel Cardona in an April 19 statement. “These final regulations build on the legacy of Title IX by clarifying that all our nation’s students can access schools that are safe, welcoming, and respect their rights.”

The regulation has been blocked in more than 20 states by federal judges.

Trump had pledged to reverse Biden’s interpretation of Title IX on his first day in office. In a recent interview with Time magazine, Trump appeared to be less certain when he said he would be looking “very closely” at whether to follow through with his initial promise.

Multiple teams in women’s sports have also forfeited games against opposing teams with transgender players.

The women’s volleyball teams at the University of Wyoming, Boise State, Utah State University, and Southern Utah decided to forgo their games against San Jose State University, which has Blaire Fleming on the team, a male who identifies as a transgender female. The schools did not cite Fleming as a reason for forfeiting.

Sports Betting Takes Senate Spotlight

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a Dec. 17 hearing about the world of sports betting.

Witnesses included NCAA President and former Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, former NFL player Johnson Bademosi, former Assistant Attorney General David Rebuck, gambling therapist Harry Levant, and National Council on Problem Gambling Executive Director Keith Whyte.

One of the issues surrounding the matter is the harassment athletes receive for not fulfilling the bets of gamblers.

“Student athletes publicly revealed they get demands for money from unhappy batters for trivial things that don’t impact the result on the field,” said Baker.

“Many have received death threats from bettors, and they also receive other in-person threats and accusations directed at them while they’re leaving or coming onto the field of play.”

Baker asked Congress to pass legislation banning prop betting on college sports and to “strengthen sport leagues’ abilities to investigate integrity issues.”

He also called on “federal authorities to do more to crack down on black market betting sites.”

Trump Appears at Football Games During Campaign

During the campaign, Trump appeared at numerous football games.

In October, Trump was in a suite at a game in Pittsburgh between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets.

The previous month, Trump attended a game between the University of Alabama and the University of Georgia in Alabama, where Trump enjoyed wide support. There, he tossed several boxes of chicken tenders into a crowd of fans.

Following the election, Trump and Vance hosted Daniel Penny in their suite at the annual game between the U.S. Military Academy and U.S. Naval Academy on Dec. 14. Penny was acquitted earlier that week of criminally negligent homicide after putting a threatening New York subway passenger in a chokehold.

Former Athletes Run for Congress

Three former professional athletes, all Republicans, unsuccessfully ran for Congress, though one almost crossed the finish line.

Los Angeles Dodgers icon Steve Garvey lost to Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who received 58.9 percent of the vote in California, for the U.S. Senate race.

In Minnesota, former NBA player Royce White lost to Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who received 56.3 percent of the vote in another Senate race.

White has already filed to run for the GOP nod to take on incumbent Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) in 2026.

Meanwhile, former NASCAR driver Austin Theriault, a Republican, lost to Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District by just 2,706 votes as the latter got 50.3 percent of the vote, while the former received 49.7 percent.