The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that Northwestern football players cannot form a union, overturning a March 2014 ruling. Monday's 16-page ruling did not directly address whether athletes are employees of schools, which was part of the basis for a regional NLRB director's previous ruling that unionization could move forward.
The five-member board ruled that allowing unionization at Northwestern could result in different standards at different schools, which could create competitive imbalances. The losing side will not be able to appeal the ruling. The ruling applies only to private schools such as Northwestern, as the NLRB has no jurisdiction over public schools.
Although the ruling was unanimous, officials reportedly called it a "very narrow" decision.
The NCAA released a statement after the ruling Monday and called the board's decision "appropriate."
Last year, 76 scholarship players at Northwestern were given the option to vote as to whether to unionize. Those votes, according to Bloomberg, will be destroyed without being counted.
Among the goals of the union effort, known as the College Athletes Players Association, was a guarantee of coverage of medical-related expenses for both current and former athletes and an increase in scholarship value. As for the latter of those concerns, the NCAA recently cleared the way for Power Five schools to provide student-athletes with a cost-of-attendance stipend.
Ramogi Huma, the executive director of the National College Players Association, said the "door's not closed" on the push to allow college athletes to form a union, despite Monday's ruling. He declined to comment on whether plans are in place to continue the effort.
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