SmashMouth

In a ruling that could revolutionize college athletics, a federal agency ruled Wednesday that college football players at Northwestern University can unionize.

The decision by a regional director of the National Labor Relations Board means it agrees football players at the Big Ten school qualify as employees under federal law and therefore can create the nation's first college athlete's union..

The Evanston, Ill-based university argued college athletes, as students, don't fit in the same category as factory workers, truck drivers and other unionized workers. The school plans to appeal to labor authorities in Washington, D.C.

"While we respect the NLRB process and the regional director's opinion, we disagree with it," a statement from Northwestern University read.

"Northwestern believes strongly that our student-athletes are not employees, but students. Unionization and collective bargaining are not the appropriate methods to address the concerns raised by student-athletes."

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SmashMouth

Northwestern Wildcats football players win bid to unionize - ESPN

SmashMouth

The end of college football as we know it?

Crusader

It will be interesting to follow the development of this process.

OldMaid

The development of the process of this will be very bad for the majority of these college athletes.

They do not understand, know, or want to know and most have any one to tell them or understand it all for them like parents about their current situtations vs. what will happen to them if this becomes the new standard.

SloMotion

Exactly. With unionization/employee status, they're scholarships & other perks they enjoy for playing college football will undoubtedly be counted as income and subject to tax, IMO ... just as with any other employee, unionized or not.

Someone should have told them, "be careful what you wish for, you just might get it" ... something like only 1% of these guys make it to the NFL and Northwestern certainly ain't no football-factory, .

The whole thing is just absurd if you ask me.

OldMaid

Hi SloMo. Good point about tax.

Crusader

Well thats the thing. 1% makes the NFL and a few of the guys who makes it all the way cash in big-time. The rest doesn't get a whole lot of dough and they want a piece since the schools in D1 football make a ton from their work.

SloMotion

Yeah, it's a very convoluted issue. You could say those that don't make it to the NFL are compensated with a degree and/or the means to make (on average) a million more in salary throughout their career as opposed to what they would make without that degree, but it's been documented that a lot of these athletes are just passed through in order to keep them on the field/court & there is no real practical application in their degrees. Many of the athletes in NCAA sports that pro careers are not available to, actually do study/complete degrees and these are the ones that will be hurt the most.

So now what?

Declare them as employees and the scholarships, financial aid & whatever else becomes taxable income. On average, the taxable income for these athletes becomes approx. $75k, just based on what it costs to attend a major university. Add in a base salary, and it becomes even more, say $90k. That's a pretty big tax liability for a single person/no dependents. It will be a rude awakening for some.

Then, what about the kid who's on a bowling scholarship at a Div II school who's suddenly declared an employee? Or the student athlete in a Div I school that participates in a not-so-popular sport, like track & field? Their projected salaries/compensation will undoubtedly fail to cover any tax liability they now assume as their scholarships/financial aid become taxable income.

This is a big time money grab and attempt to legitimize the NCAA as the minor-league to the NFL, IMO ... as I spelled out in another thread. Just sayin', .

QBREES9

What happend if Northwestern University, decide to shut down the football program ?