
In 2014 the Northwestern University football team attempted to formulate an official labor union, and was denied their petition (Seek to Join Labor Union). The football team formulated a formal petition to the NLRB to be allowed to unionize, along with a list of demands. The demands included financial coverage for sport injuries and medical expenses, placing concussion experts on the sidelines for games, and creating an educational trust fund to help football players graduate (Seek to Join Labor Union). The leader of the football team, Kain Colter, made it publicly clear that the immediate goals for unionizing weren't to get salaries, but to have their voices and demands heard (Seek to Join Labor Union). This was the first time any sports team or organization attempted to unionize. After many months of deliberation, the NLRB declined their petition. The Northwestern team was advocating for change in all the aspects that take advantage of college athletes and were declined because of a political decision (Seek to Join Labor Union). Although the declining of their attempt was a blow to their singular movement, it has opened the door to more possibilities. When the NLRB declined the movement, they never specified whether or not student athletes are employees of their universities under federal labor laws. This leaves the door open to more possibilities for unionization. Now that a precedent has been set, college athletes have a base to argue for their rights and demands. The efforts of the Northwestern student athletes demonstrated an attempt at unionization which has been debated for many years due to the claim that student athletes today are not being represented in a just way. They argued that they were not being given proper benefits and protection for their athletic efforts and thus needed a voice through the resource of a labor union (Seek to Join Labor Union). Student athletes around the country are not being treated fairly, and are being exploited tremendously by the collegiate industry, thus, student athletes should be allowed to unionize.

The road ahead for unionization could have multiple pathways, either another attempt for a petition through the NLRB, through congress, or through the judicial court system. Since the formal petition that the Northwestern football team created was declined, they have the option of appealing to congress. Federal law makers could remove the restrictions that the NCAA has on benefits and compensation (College Athletes After Union Setback). The only issue is that the current congress has multiple members that helped push the NLRB to decline the Northwestern petition. Republican law makers John Kine and Lamar Alexander stated, "Scholarship football players are not and should not be treated ... . As employees" (College Athletes After Union Setback). There have already been cases against the NCAA that have held in court, and there are possibly more to come. The first is O'Bannon v. NCAA, the three-week trial concluded with a verdict stating that the NCAA rules prohibiting college athlete from receiving cash compensation was a violation of the nation's antitrust laws (Victory over the NCAA). The case was filed by ex UCLA basketball player Ed O'Bannon, and the class action lawsuit challenged the organization's use of player's images for commercial purposes. The suit argues that upon graduation a player should be permitted to receive compensation for the commercial use of his or her image (Victory over the NCAA). This victory was a crucial step for college athletes because it was the first victory in a federal court versus the NCAA. Also there is a current class action lawsuit being formulated by Jeffery Kessler, which seeks to lift all NCAA bans and restrictions on compensation. The trial is set for the end of 2016, and if victorious would change the whole debate and situation of whether or not athletes will get compensated for their work. 

Unions are legally recognized representatives for workers of all industries in the United States. Labor Unions date back to the early nineteenth century when workers had a lack of representation due to extortion of labor and unfair treatment (Reynolds). The creation of unions for different types of work allowed for such representation to provide a voice for the workers (Reynolds). Labor unions fight for the laborers and workers to provide just legal payment and treatment by the proprietors and companies that employ them. In order for student athletes to get any say and opinion on how they should be treated and or compensated they must be allowed to unionize. With the ability to have a legal voice in the eyes of the government, student athletes may one day be compensated and rewarded for their full time application to their collegiate sports. 

Student athletes are fully dedicated to their sports which in turn should mean that they are full time employees of their college or university. The Supreme Court and NLRB have interpreted "employee" to mean "a person who performs services for another under a contract of hire, subject to the other's control or right of control, and in return for payment ("Athletes are Employees"). In an article published by the National Labor Relations Board the Chicago base stated that athletes are in constant control by their coaches and are completely occupied with their athletic responsibilities (NCAA as an Employer). Today athletes must sign a form called the Student- Athlete Statement or NCAA Form 14-3a (NCAA as an Employer). The form is for all division 1 athletes, and states their eligibility and stipulates rules for ethical conduct; relationships with coaches; recruiting processes; academic eligibility; financial aid, and other expenses for student athletes (NCAA as an Employer). What most people and most athletes don't know is that the NCAA coined the term "Student- Athlete" in an effort to avoid portraying them as employees (NCAA as an Employer). It is obvious that the NLRB definition of employee should apply to student athletes. Students who play college sports, in particular division one athletes are completely controlled by their university's coaches and staff and are playing, practicing and being ordered by their sport, year round and full time. 

The term student athlete means that these collegiate athletes are students first, however in the past years athletics have taken over, and athletes are forced to put their academics aside for their sports. Due to the value and importance of the collegiate sport industry many people and organizations feel that since athletics are valued so much, athletes are being pushed to care only about their sports and not their academics. James Duserstadt, a former college football player and the President of the University of Michigan said, "Some universities take advantage of their student athletes, exploiting their athletic talents for financial gain and public visibility, and tolerating low graduation rates and meaningless degrees in majors like general studies or recreational life" (Exploitation in the American Academy). Student athletes are being abused in the sense that their better interests are not being assessed by many colleges and universities. Out of all the collegiate athletes in the United States only less than ten percent of them in any given sport ever really have the opportunity of becoming a professional athlete beyond college (Exploitation in the American Academy). This fact is very concerning because while in college many of these athletes don't put enough emphasis and effort into their academics. This results in athletes leaving college with any real academic preparation for the real world (Exploitation in the American Academy). These athletes leave college empty handed with only the memories of their past athletic achievements. Student athletes simply aren't getting represented in a way that protects their academics and their better interests during college and after. If athletes are allowed to formulate unions, they would have organizations that protect them from the current system of extortion that is in place.

Student athletes are getting exploited socially and financially. Today the NCAA is profiting off the backs of athletes, many of which come from poverty and less fortunate families (Exploitation in the American Academy). Although some athletes are given scholarships, people don't take into consideration the ones that don't. They aren't provided for in a satisfactory way. They are given three meals a day and many barely have enough money to buy clothes from out of pocket. Last year the National College Players Association published a report that stated that 86% of college athletes live below the poverty line (Exploitation in the American Academy). Colleges and universities aren't providing or protecting these students financially and socially, especially the ones that don't have full ride scholarships (Exploitation in the American Academy). One could even stipulate to call the current athletic system indentured servitude, they are given the basics needed for living by their colleges and universities and then are exploited for their athletic abilities in order to create a profit for the NCAA and their collegiate institutions (Exploitation in the American Academy). Last year the University of Texas football players were valued at $513,922 and the Duke basketball players were valued at $1,025,656 (Exploitation of College Athletes). The idea that these athletically gifted students are generating so much money for their institutions while they are given the bare necessities is outrageous. Besides the fact that athletes are taken advantage of financially, they are also exploited physically. Although they get medical coverage when they are on the team, these students sometimes receive season ending injuries and massive concussions that could have long term effects and repercussions. Colleges need to support and provide medical support and treatment as long as they are injured from their sport, even if they are forced to cease playing. This underlines the argument that student athletes are being exploited without anyone or any organization to voice their demands and ideas to fix these issues. With unions in place, the players would have a voice and their demands would be heard in a way that could facilitate change.

Although there are many people that support the unionization of college athletes there are many that adamantly oppose the movement. One major argument of the opposition is that the education provided by the universities and colleges around the country is priceless and should be enough for the athletes. They argue that being educated formally by an institution is more than enough because it will help the students immensely in the long term. It has been stated that the lifetime earnings of people who go to college is almost one million dollars more than those who don't. Another main argument is that if athletes were able to unionize there would be many issues with oversight. For example, how would different schools and different divisions get benefits and how would the NCAA apply the new voiced demands and needs throughout all collegiate sports. The main argument is that there would be many different cases and outliers which would disrupt the means of distributing benefits and possible compensation depending on athletic achievement and standing. 

In conclusion there is a severe problem with the collegiate institution across the nation. There is a lack of representation for student athletes and they are getting severely exploited. For years now the NCAA has put restrictions on students' autonomy as athletes and their daily lives. These student athletes have non stop training and are in constant control and demand from their coaches and their universities. Student athletes are and should be legally considered employees for their dedication and performance in their respective athletic fields. Since they are "employees" they legally should get proper representation to be allowed to voice their demands and issues with the system of bureaucracy within the collegiate sporting industry. The only way for them to have such access would be through means of unionization. There are billions of dollars generated by collegiate sports every year and the athletes are exploited financially, and academically; so much so that athletes across the country lose sight of what their main occupation is; to be a student first, then an athlete. From unionization, the representation would allow change in terms of financial security along with adequate medical treatments for their possibly long term injuries caused by their sports. The United States government must allow student athletes to unionize in order to maintain the integrity of collegiate sports as a whole and to protect the defenseless athletes that provide a huge stream of entertainment for millions of viewers and fans all over the world. 

