Today the Chicago district of the National Labor Relations Board decided that football players at Northwestern University qualify to be employees and can unionize. This decision is highly controversial, being that many people agree with this decision, while others find it terrible.
The side that agrees points to the amount of time spent playing football by the players, and that their scholarships are determined by on the field performance. They argue that since the universities rely on the players to generate the billions of dollars that come from college athletics, the role the students hold is that of an employee. Former Northwestern QB Kain Colter, an avid supporter of the ruling, said “For me this was just an opportunity to make things right and stick up for future generations and make up for the wrongs of past generation.” Obviously, he sees the potential of unionization and salaries as a good thing.
On the other hand are those who would end up with less money, those that work for the NCAA and the individual universities. Northwestern released a statement shunning the ruling saying “Northwestern believes strongly that our student-athletes are not employees, but students.” The advocates of the current system note that the way things are have helped millions of students attend college.
I happen to agree with the universities and the NCAA. Student-athletes willingly go to college to play sports, but to also be students. They are students who play sports. Not employees who go to school. Should high school football players unionize as well? Tickets are sold to attend the game, and money is made through those tickets to watch the students play. Obviously the answer is no, and the answer should be the same at a collegiate level. Student athletes are still students attending school who play sports. Until someone becomes a PROFESSIONal, when it is their PROFESSION to play a sport, they should not receive monetary compensation. Sports are extracurricular activities at schools. School is first, sports are a game on the side. No matter how hard you work at the game or how much time you put into it, it is still 2nd to education.
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