The landscape of college sports has changed significantly in the last several years, following the introduction of NIL deals and the removal of restrictions around the transfer portal. The changes have led to the Big Ten and SEC becoming the dominant powers across college sports, and especially football.
The other, smaller, powers that be have resorted to running a “Saving college sports” campaign, aimed at stifling some of the Big Ten and SEC’s power through avenues such as putting college sports as a whole under one media package rather than letting conferences build thier own.
The Big Ten and SEC have already responded by sending a ten-page letter to members of Congress with their objections to the lobbying efforts, and in the SEC’s case in particular, the major conferences are showing they aren’t allowed to use every legal advantage at their disposal.
According to a recent report from Sports Business Journal, the Mississippi House “passed a bill to exclude NIL earnings from the state’s income tax.” State House Rep. Trey Lamar said that the provision “would make Mississippi an attractive destination for top athletes and give college coaches another recruiting perk.”
Mississippi isn’t the first SEC state to use its political sway to find an edge. The state joins Florida, Texas, and Tennessee, which are income tax-free, along with Arkansas, which is NIL-exempt.
Nathan Goldman of Forbes has reported that with the tax advantages when it came to recruiting, a “clear tax advantage began to develop for schools in these states.”
If that edge the tax advantages create continues to increase, the Big Ten, the home of college football’s last three national champions, is going to be sure to “play ball” and follow suit, which could have a ripple effect across public services and local economies.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.