A memo published by the National Labor Relations Boards’ general counsel last week could increase the likelihood that high-level football players at private institutions will one day be able to unionize — and further push for employee rights.
Richard Griffin, the NLRB’s general counsel, sent a memo Wednesday to the board’s regional directors stating Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football players who attend private universities — schools such as Duke in the ACC, Northwestern in the Big Ten and Baylor in the Big 12 — should be classified as employees. The classification would include full workers’ rights, including protection against unfair labor practices and perhaps a greater share of the NCAA’s annual $10 billion-plus in revenue.