http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9342479/examining-nfl-tax-exempt-status-challenged-us-senator-tom-coburn has more on the whys and wherefores: short story, all those multi-billion dollar deals the (non-profit) NFL administers are simply to "promote the business" of the (for-profit) individual teams, whose contributions fund, in part, the NFL. "Football leagues" are, in fact, explicitly mentioned in the tax code for this purpose.
I'm not a big Tom Coburn fan, ordinarily, but I certainly support his efforts here.
Congress: Revoke the Tax-Exempt Status of the National Football League
Despite the fact that it is a $9Billion/Year industry, the National Football League (NFL) continues to enjoy status as a non-profit organization –…