9. Northwestern University Athletes Unionize
Northwestern University football players took a giant leap forward for student athletes when they won the right to unionize, potentially impacting the future of college athletics as we know it. The Chicago district of the National Labor Relations Board ruled that the players qualify as employees of the university in March. As the debate continues whether college athletes should be paid for their part in helping to earn institutions millions upon millions each year, this decision establishes a labor relationship between athletes and schools and paves the way for some type of reform. The Northwestern case also helps to protect athletes’ rights as employees and sets a baseline for those negotiations down the road.
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