A group outside of the state is encouraging college athletes to support Sen. Jon Tester, D-MT.

The initiative takes advantage of new NCAA guidelines that allow college athletes to monetize and brand their names to pay them to endorse a political cause.

Lily Meskers is a journalism student and track athlete at the University of Montana. She reported for Montana Talks that Jean Gee, senior associate athletics director, sent an email to athletes in early August about a possible Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). The email sent by Gee stated that the opportunity was open to “Athletes from Montana who are interested in spreading awareness about Senator Jon Tester or causes they care about.”

Meskers reported that the group paid between $400 and 2,400 dollars for videos shared on Instagram Reels. Montana Together asked athletes to make videos that “inform [their] audience about Senator Tester’s record as an elected official and encourage him to continue to support these vital policies.”

Athletes have reacted negatively to the effort, believing that Tester’s voting history in Washington is not in line with his state.

Meskers writes, “The dynamics of this election cycle are flushing out Tester’s 2023 vote against ‘Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act’ which worked to amend Title IX so that only women biologically could compete in women sports.”

Tester was among the 51 Senate Democrats who voted against the Republican-backed bill.

Fox News Digital reported that Tester’s campaign has denied any communication with Montana Together and/or knowledge of the actions.

Montana Together is not the first time that a political NIL deal has been made.

Tester will face Tim Sheehy, a Navy SEAL veteran and Republican in November when he runs for a fourth term as senator.

In a Fox News Digital statement, NRSC spokesperson Maggie Abboud stated that “Jon Tester sided wit woke DC Democrats by voting to allow men to compete in women’s sport. Now his dark money ally is trying to pay off students to cover his far-left vote record.” “Jon Tester has gone into a spiral and is resorting to all underhanded tactics in the book.”