NLRB rules that college athletes can unionize
The NLRB's top lawyer released a memo on Wednesday stating that college athletes in revenue producing sports at private universities have the right to unionize and negotiate over their working conditions. The memo concludes that these athletes are statutory employees. The NLRB general counsel also threatened action against schools, conferences, and the NCAA if they continue to use the term student athlete and obscure the employment relationship that exists between athletes and the college. The NCAA said, “college athletes are students who compete against other students, not employees who compete against other employees.”
See "NLRB rules that college athletes can unionize", Adam Rittenberg, ESPN News Services, September 30, 2021