Senator Cantwell demands review of college sports' tax status over Big Ten’s $2.4B private deal and revenue concerns.

Senator Maria Cantwell is calling for a congressional review of college sports' tax-exempt status due to concerns over the Big Ten’s $2.4 billion deal with a private investor. She asked the Joint Committee on Taxation to assess how media rights sales, NIL collectives, high coach salaries, and potential athlete employee classification affect the educational mission link required for tax exemption. The Big Ten’s plan to transfer media rights to a for-profit entity has drawn pushback from schools like Michigan and Southern California, which worry about unequal revenue distribution and private control. Cantwell warned that commercialization could jeopardize tax-exempt status if athletic revenues become disconnected from education.