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Work, Study, Organize!: Why The Northwestern University Football Players Are Employees Under The National Labor Relations Act, César F. Rosado Marzán, Alex Tillett-Saks

Hofstra Labor & Employment Law Journal

This article analyzes the first case of college athlete unionization under the National Labor Relations Act ("NLRA") that has reached the National Labor Relations Board – that of the Northwestern University football players. We reanalyze the case and concur with Region 13 of the NLRB, which determined that these college athletes are employees under the NLRA. However, we also go beyond Region 13's decision and argue that the walk-on players, or those football players who do not receive scholarships, may also be employees under the NLRA.

The grant-in-aid football players of Northwestern University meet the three rules normally used to …