AUSTIN, Texas — Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger compared playing college football to an unpaid internship and said he supports a bill expected to be introduced in Congress that would give athletes more opportunities to earn money.
In a series of tweets, the junior this week laid out the responsibilities that come with being a college athlete and the perceived inequities.
“Consider a full-time unpaid internship that requires 1-4 years of participation, with a minimum 40-hour work week. This internship generates millions of dollars for your company, and billions of dollars for the broadcasting companies that cover your industry,” wrote Ehlinger, who is studying business at Texas. “Within this internship, you risk your short-term and long-term health on a daily basis. You endure this internship with less than a 2 percent chance to advance in your industry and obtain a full-time paid job. Would you accept this position?”
Rep. Mark Walker, a North Carolina Republican, is expected to introduce a bill next week that would amend the tax code to remove NCAA restriction on college athletes being compensated for use of their name, image and likeness.