According to data collected at a brain bank run by Boston University and the Department of Veterans Affairs, 96% of deceased National Football League players showed signs of degenerative disease related to head injuries in their brain. In light of this, it seems ironic that the NFL has a similar non-profit status to that of the Alzheimer’s Association, which seeks to cure the destructive disease.

Recently, the NFL has been facing criticism after multiple players received allegations of child and spousal abuse, as well as the Washington Redskins refusal to change its mascot.  Several politicians, including U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Maria Cantwell, have introduced legislation to revoke the NFL’s non-profit status.

The NFL has been considered a nonprofit 501(c)6 organization by Congress since 1942. Many sports leagues including the NCAA, NHL and PGA Tour also hold a non-profit status. However, they do not need nor deserve to have taxpayers pay for their expenses.

Forbes estimates that the NFL is the most valuable sports league in the world, and according to its tax filing for last year, the NFL’s total revenue amounted to $327 million.

Its commissioner, Roger Goodell, was paid $40 million last year through bonus compensation. That’s an unusually high salary for a principal executive officer — let alone one working for a “non-profit.”

The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates the 10-year cost to taxpayers is approximately $109 million. Other professional sports organizations like the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball operate and thrive without the non-profit status. That money could be used to pay for vital programs like cancer research, disaster relief and health care that have seen their funding slashed in recent years.

While the NFL is expected to participate in charitable giving every year, two years ago, they listed $2.3 million in charitable giving. $2.1 million of that went to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Essentially, taxpayers are paying to preserve a building dedicated to football players and do not benefit from it at all.

An overwhelming majority of Americans don’t even know where it is, yet we’re paying for it from our own pockets.

It just doesn’t make sense to continue to give the NFL it’s non-profit status when the country’s debt ceiling is soaring. Taxpayers should not be asked to subsidize the NFL, which is already benefiting widely from willing fans and turning a large profit, while claiming to be a non-profit organization. Continuing to do so is simply unacceptable.

Sports leagues won’t suddenly disappear if we ask them to pay, at most, a few million dollars to the government. The NBA hasn’t gone anywhere. The NFL certainly won’t either.