Richard Burr Vows to Tax Scholarships of College Athletes Who ‘Cash In’

The sports world received a significant jolt on Tuesday, when the NCAA announced that they had taken the unprecedented step of allowing college athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness.

While the move signaled an historic and long-awaited shift to some, others in government saw the move as an opportunity to profit off of those who are now making a profit.

Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) announced on Twitter that he plans to introduce legislation that will treat the scholarships of athletes who choose to “cash in,” as income. A move which would make the scholarships subject to taxation.

The new NCAA rule is unlikely to impact a large majority of college athletes, considering there’s only a relatively small percentage who have enough face and name notoriety to gain endorsements. Though, many see the move as a prelude to doing away with amateurism in college sports altogether, and placing the athletes on salary.

The Federalist’s Sean Davis criticized Burr’s proposed legislation, noting that the North Carolina Senator has never taxed the institutions those athletes have made rich.

Davis also asked whether Burr’s legislation would apply to those on academic scholarships who work while in school:

And the grand finale:

While one could make the case for taxing the income earned off of any endorsement deals, it’s more complicated to say that the athlete’s entire scholarship should be taxed. Not to mention other potential complications that could arise once room and board, food, medical, and transportation costs are factored in.

Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn