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CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN COMMENT EMAIL MORE Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger wants you to think for a moment.
“Consider a full-time unpaid internship that requires 1-4 years of participation with a minimum 40-hour work week,” Ehlinger tweeted Thursday evening. “This internship generates millions of dollars for your company, and billions of dollars for the broadcasting companies that cover your industry.”
The case to pay collegiate athletes isn’t new. Nor is the parallel that Ehlinger, a junior in UT’s McCombs School of Business, make. But Ehlinger continued in follow-up tweets:
“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% chance to advance in your industry and obtain a full-time paid job. Would you accept this position?
“Now consider the full-time unpaid internship as College Athletics and the full-time paid job as Professional Sports.”
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% chance to advance in your industry and obtain a full-time paid job.
— Sam Ehlinger (@sehlinger3) March 7, 2019 Would you accept this position?
Now consider the full-time unpaid internship as College Athletics and the full-time paid job as Professional Sports.
Support Congressman @RepMarkWalker and his proposal! https://t.co/2L78eadzKt
— Sam Ehlinger (@sehlinger3) March 7, 2019 Ehlinger added a link to legislation proposed by North Carolina Congressman Mark Walker. Walker plans next week to introduce a Student-Athlete Equity Act advocating for student-athletes to regain the right to profit off their name, image and likeness while in school. The bill would remove a tax-code restriction on student-athlete compensation, according to The News and Observer .
“Signing on with a university, if you’re a student-athlete, should not be a moratorium on your rights as an individual,” Walker said, per The News and Observer. “We’re not asking the university, we’re not asking the NCAA to pay a single dollar into this. You’ve done your part offering a full scholarship.
“Just don’t restrict the rest of it.”
Sam Ehlinger celebrates during Texas' win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. (Photo: Chuck Cook, USA TODAY Sports)
The Longhorns athletics department accrued more than $219 million in revenue during the 2018 fiscal year, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY Sports’ Steve Berkowitz. 2018 marked Texas’ second consecutive year posting revenues and expenses each above $200 million. No other Division I program spent within $30 million of Texas’ $207 million expense figure.
The Longhorns athletics department has allocated roughly $50 million back to the university the last five years.
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Ehlinger started all 14 games for Texas in 2018, completing 275 passes for 3,292 yards and 25 touchdowns while throwing just five interceptions. He rushed for an additional 16 touchdowns, the most ever by a quarterback in program history.
Ehlinger capped off his tweets one final note two hours after supporting the bill.
“Don’t get me wrong,” he wrote. “I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to get an incredible degree and play the sport I love at such a prestigious University. I am extremely blessed.”
Don’t get me wrong, I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to get an incredible degree and play the sport I love at such a prestigious University. I am extremely blessed.
— Sam Ehlinger (@sehlinger3) March 8, 2019 Follow USA TODAY Sports' Jori Epstein on Twitter @JoriEpstein .
Early Top 25 college football teams for 2019
Flip through the gallery to see the USA TODAY Sports preview of what's ahead for college football in the fall. Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 25. Baylor Thomas Shea, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 24. Boise State Brian Losness, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 23. Wisconsin Rich Barnes, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 22. Syracuse Rich Barnes, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 21. Nebraska Jeffrey Becker, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 20. Army Danny Wild, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 19. Penn State Matthew OHaren, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 18. Stanford Kelvin Kuo, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 17. Iowa State Jay Biggerstaff, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 16. Iowa Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 15. Southern California Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 14. Florida Jason Getz, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 13. Notre Dame Jerome Miron, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 12. Central Florida Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 11. Oregon Stan Szeto, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 10. Texas A&M Adam Hagy, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 9. Washington James Snook, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 8. LSU Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 7. Michigan Dale Zanine, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 6. Ohio State Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 5. Texas Derick E. Hingle, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 4. Oklahoma Tommy Gilligan, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 3. Georgia Jay Biggerstaff, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 2. Clemson Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen 1. Alabama Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports 26 2 of 26 3 of 26 4 of 26 5 of 26 6 of 26 7 of 26 8 of 26 9 of 26 10 of 26 11 of 26 12 of 26 13 of 26 14 of 26 15 of 26 16 of 26 17 of 26 18 of 26 19 of 26 20 of 26 21 of 26 22 of 26 23 of 26 24 of 26 25 of 26 26 of 26
