Democrat Senator Jon Tester is receiving support from an outside group that is leveraging new NCAA guidelines to solicit endorsements from college athletes in Montana. This initiative essentially pays athletes to make political endorsements through their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights.
According to Lily Meskers, a track athlete and journalism major at the University of Montana, athletes received an email in early August from Jean Gee, the senior associate athletic director. The email, forwarded by Gee, detailed an opportunity for athletes to participate in an NIL deal aimed at promoting Tester’s campaign and related causes.
The email offered compensation ranging from $400 to $2,400 for creating video content, specifically Instagram Reels, that would highlight Senator Tester’s accomplishments and encourage support for his policies. The group behind this effort, Montana Together, instructed athletes to make videos “informing your audience about Senator Tester’s track record in office and urging him to continue supporting these vital policies.”
The initiative has faced criticism from some athletes who argue that Tester’s voting record does not align with the values of Montana voters. Meskers notes that Tester’s opposition to the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act,” which sought to amend Title IX to restrict women’s sports to biological females, has been a point of contention. Tester was one of 51 Senate Democrats who voted against the Republican-backed legislation.
Tester’s campaign has denied any connection with Montana Together or knowledge of the NIL solicitation, according to a statement to media outlets
While political NIL deals are not unprecedented, this particular campaign has drawn significant scrutiny. Tester is seeking re-election in November against Republican Tim Sheehy, a Navy SEAL veteran.
NRSC spokeswoman Maggie Abboud criticized the effort, stating, “Jon Tester sided with woke DC Democrats when he voted to let men compete in women’s sports. Now his dark money allies are trying to pay students to cover up his far-left voting record. Jon Tester is spiraling and resorting to every underhanded tactic in the book.”
