• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, October 22, 2025

The Ivy League Is Siding With Dartmouth Against College Athlete Unionization

  • On Tuesday, the conference filed an amicus brief with the National Labor Relations Board in support of Dartmouth’s effort to stop player employee status.
  • The Ivy League claimed in court documents that it does not control athletes or provide them with compensation, despite a ruling to the contrary.
Front Office Sports

The Ivy League is backing Dartmouth in its legal quest to prevent college athletes from being considered employees.

On Tuesday, the conference filed an amicus brief with the National Labor Relations Board in support of Dartmouth’s position that athletes should not be allowed to unionize or receive university employee status. The school is currently in the process of appealing a February ruling stating men’s basketball players are professionals, allowing them to vote to join a union. (The players voted in March, 13–2, to join their local chapter of the Service Employees International Union.)

The entire appeal, which includes not just the Ivy League’s brief but also a multipronged strategy from Dartmouth, is yet another desperate attempt to preserve amateurism. Notably, both the Ivy League and Dartmouth have hired notorious anti-union law firms to do their bidding: Cozen O’Connor and Morgan Lewis & Bockius (who is also representing USC in an NLRB case over whether football and basketball players should be considered employees). At Dartmouth, SEIU Local 560 president Chris Peck previously told Front Office Sports he has never seen the school fight the certification of a union this hard.

The 28-page brief, reviewed by FOS, called the NLRB regional director’s decision “tortuous” and peddled the same anti-employment arguments that were already rejected. The Ivy League claimed its schools do not control athletes in a way that mirrors employment, nor do they provide adequate compensation. Instead, the conference argues that Ivy League athletics is more similar to an extracurricular activity than professional employment—an assertion that has been challenged not only in this case but also in the USC case.

Allowing athletes to be considered employees could “threaten the continued existence of intercollegiate sports in athletic conferences, like the Ivy League, which put academics at the forefront of the student’s college experience,” the brief says. In the Ivy League’s view, athletes would be incapable of focusing on academics if they got paid to play sports.

The brief goes on to suggest that Ivy League athletics do not benefit universities themselves, specifically citing the fact that Ivy League sports don’t turn a profit. “Much of the rhetoric surrounding the amateurism model stems from a misconception that student-athletes are exploited for the benefit of the institution,” the brief says. “In contrast, the Ivy League model enhances the experience of its student-athletes, including by placing academics before athletics.”

It’s unclear when there will be another ruling. The process could easily extend to the end of the year, as the NLRB’s national board must first decide whether to hear the appeal in the first place. After all, dragging out the appeals process is part of the school and conference’s strategy.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Tony Parker

NBA Wants to Launch European League in ‘Next Two Years’

The league is eyeing 10–12 cities for its European venture.
Giannis Antetokounmpo

DHS Is Arguing With an NBA Fan Account on Twitter

The official government account was arguing with an anonymous Bucks fan.
Sep 25, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics lead owner and governor Bill Chisholm speaks during a press conference at Auerbach Center.

The NBA’s Expanding Private-Equity Footprint

There is a PE connection of some kind for 20 of 30 teams.

Featured Today

Christie's

Lou Gehrig’s $4M Jersey and the Exploding Sports Memorabilia Market

An ultra-rare sports collection is about to hit the auction block.
@chef__tezz/Instagram
October 19, 2025

Inside the NFL’s Private Chef Network

Private chefs are the unsung architects of player performance.
October 18, 2025

How Vanderbilt Went From SEC Doormat to Dark Horse CFP Candidate

After beating LSU, Clark Lea said: “Internally, we expect to win.”
May 27, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) shoots a three point basket over New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) during the third quarter of game four of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
October 18, 2025

NBA Stars Swap Wine With League Friends and Foes

A wine-exchange tradition emerged from the bubble season’s close quarters.
Texas Tech tortillas

Texas Tech Is Attempting a Tortilla Crackdown 

Rebellious students are known to smuggle the tortillas in their underwear.
October 22, 2025

Big 12’s Yormark Defends Slow NIL Go Approvals: ‘That’s Not a Glitch’

Collectives have been starting to pay players without approvals.
Tom Izzo
October 22, 2025

Tom Izzo Rips ‘Ridiculous’ NCAA Move Allowing Former G Leaguers

Michigan State didn’t know an eligibility change had been made, he said.
Sponsored

Michelle Wie West: Women’s Sports Doesn’t Need Charity

The LPGA legend on redefining women’s sports and the future of golf.
BYU
October 20, 2025

BYU Lost Its Star QB This Summer. Now It’s One of the..

The Cougars are thriving with a true freshman at quarterback.
Indiana
October 20, 2025

Indiana Is the Center of the Sports World—Again

After successful NBA and WNBA seasons, Indiana’s football teams are thriving.
October 19, 2025

Beyond Ohio State, It’s Another Massive Shake-Up in the CFB Top 25

Nine of the top 10 teams changed positions in Week 9.
October 19, 2025

Florida, Colorado State Firings Push CFB Buyouts Past $100M

Nine FBS head coaches have been fired since the season started.