A Mississippi GOP email ad may have violated NCAA rules by using the images of two college athletes.
In the email to recruit volunteers for Sen. Thad Cochran’s campaign, the state party included a video of Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant and footage from Mississippi football games, according to the Sun Herald. The video includes players from Ole Miss and Mississippi State University.
According to NCAA rules, an ad that “endorses a political candidate or party” cannot be linked to the NCAA.
While the video itself did not include a political endorsement or message, it was included in an email supporting Cochran and the Republican party.
Mississippi GOP communications director Bobby Morgan told the Sun Herald that he didn’t believe the email ad violated NCAA rules.
“I didn’t create that graphic, I took it from the governor’s Twitter page,” he said. “It didn’t create any controversy then, I don’t think it should create controversy now.”
He said that the video and the recruitment message were separate.
“I don’t think people are connecting the two,” Morgan said.
