Burr promises bill to tax scholarships of student athletes who profit off their likenesses

Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) vowed to introduce legislation to tax scholarships for student-athletes who choose to profit off of their name, image and likeness, after the NCAA voted Tuesday to begin a process addressing the policy.

“If college athletes are going to make money off their likenesses while in school, their scholarships should be treated like income. I’ll be introducing legislation that subjects scholarships given to athletes who choose to ‘cash in’ to income taxes,” Burr tweeted Tuesday.

If college athletes are going to make money off their likenesses while in school, their scholarships should be treated like income. I’ll be introducing legislation that subjects scholarships given to athletes who choose to “cash in” to income taxes. https://t.co/H7jXC0dNls

— Richard Burr (@SenatorBurr) October 29, 2019

The NCAA’s top governing body voted unanimously Tuesday to start a process allowing student-athletes to “benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness in a manner consistent with the collegiate model” Michael Drake, the chairman of the NCAA Board of Governors and president of the Ohio State University said in a statement. The official continued, stating that each NCAA athletic division should “immediately” consider updating their policies following the vote.

{mosads} But the NCAA did not provide specifics on how the association would work with colleges and universities to structure the policy.

“We must embrace change to provide the best possible experience for college athletes,” Drake said in a statement. “Additional flexibility in this area can and must continue to support college sports as a part of higher education. This modernization for the future is a natural extension of the numerous steps NCAA members have taken in recent years to improve support for student-athletes, including full cost of attendance and guaranteed scholarships.”

Last month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill easing the process of student-athletes profiting off of their name, image and likeness. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has also supported a bipartisan bill in Florida allowing students to profit as students.

The Hill has reached out to the NCAA for comment. Burr’s office said the tweet speaks for itself and had no additional comments.