The National Labor Relations Board issued a formal complaint against the NCAA, Pac-12 Conference and USC over unfair labor practices Thursday, an expected but formal step toward the possibility of some college athletes being deemed employees. A hearing on Nov. 7 will put lawyers for the three parties and the NLRB before an administrative law judge.
In February, the National College Players Association filed an unfair labor practice charge to the NLRB against the NCAA, Pac-12 and USC as joint employers of FBS football players, men’s basketball players and women’s basketball players. The NCPA is an advocacy group led by former UCLA football player Ramogi Huma, who previously helped Northwestern players push to form a union in 2015. That was eventually dismissed by the NLRB. The NCPA also pushed for NIL state laws, which began in California.
“This process will prove that these athletes are employees under labor law and are entitled to all rights and protections afforded to other employees in America,” Huma said in a statement Thursday. “The NCPA will continue to fight to ensure college athletes have equal rights.”
The NCAA continues to state that athletes should not be employees and has been lobbying Congress for a federal law that designates them as non-employees.
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