NCAA is Not Tax Exempt

The NCAA has been hanging on to its tax exempt status like Linus holds onto his blanket. The NCAA defended itself recently to Congress in a 25-page letter from current president Myles Brand earlier this month. His argument? The kids. He says the NCAA stands for the students, student-athletes and education.

“The lessons learned on the football field or men’s basketball court are no less in value or importance to those student-athletes than the ones learned on the hockey rink or softball diamond — nor, for that matter, than those learned in theater, dance, music, journalism or other non-classroom environments,” Brand wrote.

Ahhhh. It is such a beautiful picture full of debating students on the campus quad. Professors telling student-athletes to “give ‘em hell on Saturday.” Fluffy bunnies and colorful birds fluttering about on campus while football players study mathematics under a shade tree.

But this story illustrates how important the students are to the NCAA, doesn’t it? The two schools that will likely meet in the national championship, wait, sorry, the Tostitos BCS National Championship, will only make about 1,000 student tickets available each. That’s right, out of the 73,000 seats at University of Phoenix stadium in Arizona, 2,000 are being made available to the students. Sure, there are packages for students, but those cost $2,000.

You have to be kidding me. Like one student said in the article, there would be no football without the students. That’s all that can be spared?

This is why the NCAA is not tax exempt. This is why the government shouldn’t subsidize the outrageous salaries of coaches. This is why athletes in the bigger campus sports — football and basketball — should be paid as professional athletes. Give me a break NCAA and start being honest with everyone.