Wetzel: Are NIL tax breaks the next college recruiting edge?

"If you happen to be a star college player in Mississippi, good news, you may soon be exempt from paying state income tax on your direct revenue sharing and NIL earnings. Yes, you can make millions and owe nothing. As for the cops, first responders, teachers, plumbers, bartenders, baristas, fellow college students trying to cover their own tuition or really, any other worker in Mississippi ... well, sorry, you are out of luck."

""I'm getting a ton of calls from police, teachers, state employees all asking, 'Why are you giving those guys a break?'" Rep. Jonathan McMillan, who authored the bill, told ESPN on Tuesday. "Believe me, I get where they are coming from. We're trying to move the needle here in Mississippi, change the perception of Mississippi.""

"Welcome to the wonderful world of college sports in 2026, which is so full of confusion and panic that the Mississippi House of Representatives felt compelled last week to advance a bill declaring that any money made by college athletes is tax-free because, well, it might help in recruiting."

Mississippi's House of Representatives advanced a bill exempting college athletes from state income tax on direct revenue sharing and NIL earnings, allowing them to earn millions tax-free. Meanwhile, other workers including police officers, teachers, plumbers, and students continue paying 4% state income tax on earnings over $10,000. The bill's author, Rep. Jonathan McMillan, justified the measure as necessary for recruiting competitiveness and changing Mississippi's perception as a state. The proposal has generated significant backlash from public servants and workers questioning why athletes receive preferential tax treatment unavailable to other professions.

Read at ESPN.com