BATON ROGUE, La. — Sports
Illustrated is reporting that former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu might
have violated NCAA rules by promoting a night club while he was still a
member of the team.
The magazine reports Mathieu
appeared in a video made by a group of his friends that goes by the name
Era Nation in which he promotes a party at a Baton Rouge club called
The Palace on March 10 of this year.
His pictures were also on fliers
promoting the event called "Era Nation Album Release Party For Tyrann
Mathieu." The flier also featured photographs of former LSU star Morris
Claiborne, now with the Dallas Cowboys, and current LSU defensive tackle
Anthony Johnson.
NCAA rules prohibit
student-athletes from allowing their names or pictures to be used in
advertising the sale of a product or service.
LSU spokesman Michael Bonnette
said the school is aware of the promotional material with Johnson's
photograph, but does not believe he committed an NCAA violation.
"We are comfortable that Anthony did not know about it," Bonnette said.
Claiborne was done playing for LSU at the time the flier was distributed. As it turns out, so was Mathieu.
He was dismissed from the LSU
football team in August for failing a drug test, and entered a treatment
program run by former NBA player John Lucas.
Instead of transferring to
another lower-division school to play this season, Mathieu re-enrolled
at LSU but is not playing football.
Any NCAA issues could affect his ability to return to football with LSU or another school next season