The National Labor Relations Board rules that the Dartmouth University men’s basketball team may form a union and ordered an election for union officers, Politico reports, an event that could shake up college athletics for many high-profile teams. The Dartmouth union is expected to join SEIU.
It’s not the first time a college team has tried to organize a union: in 2015, Northwestern University’s football team held a vote to organize, but the ballots were never tallied and the effort was later dismissed by the NLRB. Since 2021, players have been able to profit off their name, image and likenesses (NIL) from endorsement deals, and the ability to unionize will allow college athletes to have greater control over the enterprises and work conditions.