• Loading stock data...
Friday, July 11, 2025

The NLRB Is Going After The NCAA’s Amateurism Model

  • The NLRB investigate a case over whether football and basketball players at USC should be able to collectively bargain.
  • The charge was brought by a college athlete advocacy group called the National College Players Association.
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

In February, a college athlete advocacy organization called the National College Players Association filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging USC, UCLA, the Pac-12, and the NCAA all misclassify football and basketball players as “amateurs” when they should really be considered employees.

The NCPA just scored a significant win in the process.

The NLRB has decided to prosecute a complaint against USC, the Pac-12, and the NCAA, the NCPA said on Thursday. The parties will have an opportunity to settle — but if they don’t, the NLRB will bring a case against the three college sports entities. It will not, however, pursue a complaint against UCLA, which does not fall under the NLRB’s jurisdiction as a public school.

“Coaches, athletic directors, and conference commissioners are making millions of dollars while NCAA sports denies athletes fair compensation, breaks minimum wage and overtime laws, and avoids workers compensation while hazardous workplace conditions remain unchecked,” NCPA executive director Ramogi Huma said in a statement. “We are working to make sure college athletes are treated fairly in both the education and business aspects of college sports.”

Former Gov. of Massachusetts and new NCAA President Charlie Baker walking into tunnel during sporting event

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker Is The Next NCAA President

The governing body tapped a political operative rather than a university president.
December 15, 2022

The decision was based on findings from the regional director in the NLRB’s Los Angeles regional office.

“The Region’s determination that the unfair labor practices have merit is based on a determination that USC, the Pac-12 Conference, and the NCAA, as joint employers, have maintained unlawful rules and unlawfully misclassified scholarship basketball and football players as mere ‘student-athletes’ rather than employees entitled to protections under our law,” NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo said in a statement to Front Office Sports. 

“This kind of misclassification deprives these players of their statutory right to organize and to join together to improve their working/playing conditions if they wish to do so.  Our aim is to ensure that these players can fully and freely exercise their rights.”

If the NCPA wins, Division I FBS football and basketball players at private schools across the country would be deemed employees. They’d win the right to organize collective bargaining and earn other benefits like workers compensation — which the NCAA has evaded providing for years through the creation of the phrase “student-athlete.” (The issue is one of the main ones the new NCAA president, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, will face when his tenure begins in March 2023.)

USC and the NCAA don’t appear intimidated — and don’t sound like they plan on settling.

  • USC said: “This matter remains at an initial stage, and no final ruling will be issued until there has been a full hearing based on all the relevant facts and law. We look forward to presenting those facts, along with 75 years of favorable legal precedent, at the appropriate time.”
  • An NCAA statement read in part: “College athletes are not employees of the NCAA, regardless of sport or division. The NCAA’s commitment is to student-athletes, and it will continue to vigorously defend any attempts to divide them based on arbitrary standards, as it demeans the hard work and sacrifice of all who participate in college sports.”

The Pac-12 declined to comment.

It’s unclear whether the complaint will prevail, however. 

In 2014, Northwestern football players tried to form an official player’s union. Ultimately, their attempt was struck down by the NLRB — though it was dismissed on the technicality related to jurisdiction. Since the NLRB only presides over the private sector, it didn’t want to create a situation where private school athletes could unionize, but public school athletes couldn’t.

However, the NLRB has a very athlete-friendly general counsel in Jennifer Abruzzo, appointed by President Joe Biden. In a memo released in 2021, Abruzzo stated she believed athletes were illegally classified as amateurs rather than employees in many cases and suggested she would argue future cases with that opinion in mind. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

NCAA: March Madness Expansion to 76 Teams ‘Still Viable’ for 2026

Negotiations continue with media rights holder CBS and TNT Sports.
Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.

Deion Sanders Rips ‘Bulljunk’ in CFB, Calls for NFL-Style Salary Cap

Coach Prime is frustrated with the new revenue-sharing era.
Jul 9, 2025; Frisco, TX, USA; Head coaches Willie Fritz of Houston, Mike Gundy of Oklahoma State, Rich Rodriguez of West Virginia, Lance Leipold of Kansas, Sonny Dykes of TCU, Kyle Whittingham of Utah, Brent Brennan of Arizona and Deion Sanders of Colorado all sit on stage for a Coaches Roundtable during 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star.

Big 12 Commish: Conference Is ‘All In’ on International Expansion

The conference had once planned a large initiative in Mexico.

Featured Today

Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
July 6, 2025

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
July 5, 2025

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
July 4, 2025

3,000 Hot Dogs, $20K in Prizes: Behind the Nathan’s Eating Contest

Nathan’s serves up thousands of hot dogs and $20,000 in prize money.
The Florida State Seminoles hosted the Florida Gators at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.

Athletic Departments Express Renewed Interest in PE in Wake of House Settlement

Schools now have more expenses—and are looking for creative solutions.
Sebastian Rivera (R) tf. Danny Coles 6:47 (20-3). Rutgers University Wrestling vs Princeton in Piscataway, NJ on February 18, 2022.
July 9, 2025

The House Settlement Is Being Appealed. It Won’t Stop Revenue-Sharing—for Now

The settlement’s approval on June 6 triggered an appeals process.
Apr 4, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard KK Arnold (2)1 dribbles against UCLA Bruins forward Angela Dugalic (32) during the third quarter in a semifinal of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament at Amalie Arena.
July 10, 2025

‘Kind of a Joke’: Frustrations Mount As New NIL Deal Approval Process..

Delays have already led to athletes losing NIL opportunities.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
July 9, 2025

Big Ten, Big 12 Commissioners Remain Far Apart on CFP’s Future

A decision on expansion must be made by December.
TSU Hockey at Bridgestone
July 8, 2025

Tennessee State’s HBCU Hockey Ambitions Delayed at Least a Year

The school will not launch the first-of-its-kind program as intended.
Louis, Missouri, UNITED STATES; Penn State Nittany Lions forward Nicholas DeGraves (17) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Boston University Terriers during the third period of the Frozen Four college ice hockey national semifinals at Enterprise Center
July 7, 2025

Gavin McKenna’s Penn State Commitment Cements College Hockey Supremacy

Gavin McKenna’s Penn State decision signals hockey’s rising stars now prefer college.
A helmt is seen during the Texas Tech football team's spring game, Saturday, April 19, 2025, at Jones AT&T Stadium.
July 7, 2025

CFB’s Revenue-Sharing Era Muddles Future of NIL, Adds PE Questions

Athletic departments can pay college athletes a combined $20.5 million this year.