In what could change the face of college athletics, ESPN reports that Northwestern football players won a petition to form a labor union that will allow them to negotiate for benefits.
Northwestern Wildcats football players and the College Athletes Players Association on Wednesday won their petition through the National Labor Relations Board to form a union and bargain for benefits.
The school has released a statement voicing their disagreement with the ruling.
“While we respect the NLRB process and the regional director’s opinion, we disagree with it. Northwestern believes strongly that our student-athletes are not employees, but students,” the university’s statement read. “Unionization and collective bargaining are not the appropriate methods to address the concerns raised by student-athletes.”
Northwestern players will now vote on whether they will officially form the union or not.