Student-athletes in Montana were offered thousands of dollars if they publicly supported Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat who has advocated for the right of transgender athletes to compete in sports against biological women.
Lily Meskers, a sprinter for the University of Montana track and field team, revealed that she and her fellow Grizzlies received big-money offers this summer as part of a name, image and likeness rights deal.
Meskers is a third-year journalism student at the Missoula campus. “Montana Talks” radio show, The lawsuit argues that Tester and “his supporters have become increasingly anxious about his re-election prospects because of several unpopular stances he has taken during his three terms.”
One of his positions includes voting against the Protecting Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023, a bill that aims to “strengthen existing legal protections for women, ensure a level playing field for female athletes, and defend the law against the Biden Administration's radical regulatory plans.”
Incumbent Tester is in a close race against Republican candidate Tim Sheehy, a Navy SEAL veteran who is endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
Meskers said Montana Together, a pro-Tester political group, had reached out to universities across the state to propose the NIL agreement.
“Let's work together to inform our audience of Senator Tester's track record in office and encourage them to maintain their support for these important policies,” the obtained email said. From the National Desk. “We invite you to join our campaign and share your personal stories of how Tester's achievements have strengthened Montana's foundation and ensured a brighter future for all who live there.”
Other themes promoted in the proposal included LGBT rights, reproductive health and the economy.
“This contract gave all college athletes the opportunity to participate and make big money,” Meskers wrote.
Meskers said Montana Together has pledged between $400 and $2,400 to create up to four unscripted Instagram videos of student-athletes supporting the Democratic Party.
Student-athletes at the University of Montana received a forwarded email from Executive Associate Athletic Director Gene Gee asking them to “spread the word” about testers and “activities that interest you.”
Tester was criticized by Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, the former Auburn University football coach who introduced the Protect Women and Girls in Sports Act.
“Mr Tester voted against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sport Act…his supporters then tried to bribe football players to support him,” Taborville said. I wrote it to X. “Jon Tester doesn't represent Montana. He represents Washington, D.C., and the Left Coast. All hats and no accountability.”
Meskers said some of her teammates were surprised by the “odd request” to list Tester's track and field accomplishments.
“I support biological females being able to compete fairly in women's sport and this proposal seems to be aimed solely at one political party,” senior track and field athlete Katie Whitehurst told Meskers.
Meskers also quoted Riley Gaines, a former college swimmer and now women's sports activist, who held the rally in Whitefish, Montana, a two-and-a-half-hour drive north of the school.
“This is the most anti-women, anti-reality effort we've ever seen from this administration. … Montanans … know instinctively that men and women are different,” Gaines said, blasting Tester's voting record.
Athletic director Kent Haslam defended his department's decision to email players, saying the offer came from the school's NIL company.
“I received an email from Mateo at OpenDaws in late July about NIL opportunities for student-athletes. OpenDaws is one of the few companies in the college athlete NIL space that connects athletes with NIL opportunities,” Haslam told Montana Talks.
“Mateo said an organization called Montana Together is using OpenDose to find players interested in spreading the word about Senator Jon Tester and causes they (the players) care about. The Athletics sent the opportunity to all of their players in case any of them were interested. They could then contact Mateo for more information,” he added.
College student-athletes can earn money through NIL contracts in two different ways: through a general request to the school or by an organization requesting a specific athlete or team.
Haslam said it is the department's practice to forward general requests when they are received.
Throughout his campaign, Tester has sought to appeal to voters in what he calls a “solidly Republican state.”
Tester became the second senator to call on President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race in July.
On August 6, Tester's campaign launched “Republicans for Tester,” a “Republican-led” group that has collected 100 signatures to support the senator.
Last week, on the final day of the Democratic National Convention, Tester confirmed that he would not endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president.
“I'm not going to endorse the president-elect, and I'll tell you why,” Tester said at a news conference in Hamilton, Montana. Helena Independent Records. “There are two reasons. One, I'm focused on my race. Two, people wanted to make this a national election, but this isn't a national political issue. This is a Montana issue. I want to make sure we have Montanans back in Washington, D.C., representing Montana values. So that's why I'm doing it.”
Meanwhile, Sheehy has been gaining support in a high-profile race, with Trump holding a fundraiser in support of Sheehy, a Navy SEAL veteran, before a rally at Montana State University's Brick Breedon Fieldhouse in Bozeman.
