We have the first official union in college sports!
The men’s basketball team of Dartmouth College voted Tuesday afternoon in favor of forming the first-ever labor union for collegiate student-athletes. The result was overwhelming, with the vote ending in a 13-2 tally.
But the vote isn’t just history-making. It could also potentially switch up the entire landscape of the NCAA. As of right now, the organization only permits student-athletes to make money through name, image and likeness (NIL) deals. (RELATED: The Caitlin Clark Effect: Iowa Hawkeyes Superstar Already Having Impact On WNBA Ticket Sales)
The union vote was set up Feb. 5 by the National Labor Relations Board following Regional Director Laura Sacks ordering an election for the players.
The ruling has received pushback from Dartmouth, who filed an appeal in an attempt to halt the election or seize the ballots.
Currently pending with the NLRB, the university’s motion argues that collegiate athletes are “students first and athletes second,” and that basketball progresses their targets when it comes to education, comparing them to other students who play in a sport or are featured in another recognized extracurricular activity.
The majority of the Dartmouth men’s basketball team just showed up to the union election together. pic.twitter.com/SDKuE0EURt
— Amanda Christovich (@achristovichh) March 5, 2024
A true power play for the little guy … I can dig it.
I’ve been supporting college athletes getting paid for years now, so to see things progress from NIL deals to labor unions is pretty cool. Fat cats are too damn greedy today. I don’t care if it’s the NCAA or corporations, they’re all greedy, so you better believe I’m all about the worker getting paid — student-athletes are no different.
Get that bag, boys. You deserve it.