12-08-2025
The NCAA is a billion-dollar behemoth. Why is it tax-exempt?
Scott Hodge is a tax and fiscal policy fellow at Arnold Ventures and president emeritus of the Tax Foundation.
In a few weeks, the American obsession that is college football kicks off — and the NCAA will cash in.
Despite its nonprofit status, the National Collegiate Athletic Association is big business. Its most recent financial statement for 2024 shows that it earned more than $1.3 billion in income from the sale of television rights, advertising, tickets, merchandise and membership dues. All these revenue streams are tax-free for the NCAA.
