In Recruiting Battle, Lawmakers Weigh Whether To Give College Athletes A Tax Break On Nil Earnings

Illinois state Rep. Travis Weaver remembers how surreal it felt having Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram sit a few rows behind him in a political science class. He will never forget the pure joy in Alabama every time the Crimson Tide rolled to the national championship, either.

Weaver was there for two title runs as a student from 2010 to 2015. The way he sees it, coach Nick Saban and his players weren't the only winners.

"The city of Tuscaloosa, the state of Alabama, the employers who recruited the University of Alabama because there's higher-caliber students there -- they all benefited massively because of the success of the football team," Weaver said. "Coach Saban made that a different school than when he got there. Obviously, the football team was better. But what I saw as a student was an entire community become much stronger because of that success."

His college experience is driving the push he's now making.

Weaver wants to give an assist to Illinois schools and entice more recruits to stay home by exempting up to 100,000 in name, image and likeness earnings from the state income tax. In Georgia and Alabama , lawmakers are looking to eliminate income tax on NIL earnings altogether. There's a similar push in Louisiana.