Louisiana is ready to increase tax on sports betting in order to pump more than 24 million US dollars into sporting departments at the most prominent public universities in the state.
Louisiana, which was pending in front of governor Jeff Landry, would make Louisiana the first state that has increased taxes for the financing of College sports since then A judge approved a pioneering agreement With the NCAA, which enables schools to pay athletes directly for the use of their name, image and their similarity (Nile). Arkansas expected the court’s approval this year and was the first forego state income taxes through zero payments made by high school facilities on athletes.
More states seem almost certain that they take their own creative ways to gain an advantage – or at least keep a step – in the fast -developing and highly competitive area of college sports.
“These bills and the inevitable that will be consequences should make the college athlete-athlete-friendly,” said David Carter, founder of the sports company group, and professor at the University of Southern California. But “you will undoubtedly continue to defeat the debate about the” perceived “preferential treatment, which made athletes possible.”
The new NCCA rules that enable direct payments on college athletes in July. In the first year, each division i-school can share up to $ 20.5 million with its athletes-a number that is easier for large programs than for smaller schools that think about distracting money from other purposes. The settlement continues to allow college athletes Received zero money From third parties, such as B. supported by donors who support certain schools.
Louisiana Bill Sponsor: “We love football”
The legislation in Louisiana received the final approval just two days after the anti -anti -cartel bill between the NCAA and the athletes, but it was in the works for months. Sports directors of many universities in Louisiana met at the beginning of this year and have exposed a plan with the legislator to relieve part of their financial pressure by dividing a share of the state Sports betting tax revenue.
The biggest question for the legislator was how big a tax increase is to support. The first proposal endeavored to double the 15% taxes of the state in net proceeds from online sports betting. However, the legislator ultimately agreed to a tax rate of 21.5% in a compromise with the industry.
A quarter of the tax revenue from the online sports betting estimated $ 24.3 million in 11 public universities in conferences with football programs from Department I in equal parts. The money must be used “for the benefit of student athletes”, including scholarships, insurance, medical coverage, improvements in facilities and legal disputes.
The state tax money does not provide the athletes direct payments. However, this could indirectly make this easier by freeing other university resources.
The legislation has been adopted overwhelmed in the last days of the annual session of Louisiana.
“We love football in Louisiana – that’s the easiest way to say it,” said the Republican representative Neil Riser, who sponsored the bill.
Smaller universities feel the squeez
Many universities and universities across the country have squeezed financially, but it particularly influenced the sporting departments of small schools.
Sports departments in the top football conferences of Division I take millions of dollars from media rights, donors, company sponsors and ticket sales, with a median of only 7% of student fees as well as institutional and state support, according to the Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database.
But the remaining schools in the conferences of the Football Bowl -Football Bowl conferences in Division I achieved an average of 63% of the income from such sources last year. And schools without football teams achieved an average of 81% of their income from the sports department of institutional and state support or student fees.
Riser said that the smaller universities in Louisiana have to struggle financially and have relocated money from their general funds to their sports programs in order to remain competitive. At the same time, the state has taken over millions of dollars of tax revenue from sports betting, which were at least partially manufactured on College athletics.
“Without the athletes, we would not have the income. I only had the feeling that it was fairness that we return something and at the same time help the general means of universities,” said Steiger.
Other states invest in college sports
Louisiana would be the second state behind North Carolina, which dedicates part of his sports betting revenue for colleges athletics. North Carolina Online sports betting started Last year according to a state law that assumes part of an 18% tax on gross game revenue to the sports departments at 13 public universities. The two largest institutions in the state were excluded. But that could change.
Different budget plans that the State House and the Senate passed this year would assign both sports betting tax revenue for the sports programs at the University of North Carolina the Chapel Hill and the North Carolina State University. The Senate version would also double the tax rate. The suggestions come one year after the approval of the University of North Carolina True Home at the University of North Carolina An examination of the athletics department After a preliminary budget, around 100 million US dollars forecasted in the coming years.
Due to deficits in their sporting departments, other schools also take measures. Last week, the trustees of the University of Kentucky approved a operating loan of $ 31 million for the athletics department because it makes a direct zero payments to athletes. After voting in April in April, this happened to convert the department for athletics in Kentucky into a holding company with limited liability. Champions Blue LLC – to navigate the emerging financial pressure.
In view of the money that is connected to the athletics of universities, it is not surprising that states will start the sports departments tax -managed, or – as in the case of Arkansas – tax relief for college athletes, said Patrick Rishe, managing director of the sports business program at Washington University in St. Louis.
“If you can gain better athletes to your schools and states, this is more visibility in your states, this is a potential economic activity outside the city for your state,” said Rishe. “I think they will see many states who pursue this because they do not want to be the state that is released or disadvantaged.”
