![]() Addressing the players’ unique form of compensation, the Regional Director stated that “hile it is true that the players do not receive a paycheck in the traditional sense, they nevertheless receive a substantial economic benefit for playing football.” Also acknowledging that the players might not feel pressure to perform on the field, as their scholarships have a four-year term, the opinion emphasized the fact that players’ scholarships can be reduced or cancelled for things like abusing team rules.Ĭiting the detailed gameday itineraries, team rules, and strict monitoring of player behavior by coaches, the Regional Director ruled that the scholarship players are subject to the University’s “control” in the performance of their duties. ![]() ![]() In the Regional Director’s view, the players perform services for the benefit of the University, since the school receives revenue from its football program, and are compensated in the form of tuition, room and board, and money for books. ![]() In finding that the scholarship players were within the common law definition of “employee,” the Regional Director focused almost exclusively on the “compensation” they receive for playing football at the school and the strict teams rules and standards for participating on the team. Everything from weight room conditioning to a mandatory team dinner-and-a-movie is included in the exposition of the players’ schedule, with an emphasis on the time commitment required for all football-related activities, amounting to about 40 to 50 hours per week during the season. The Regional Director’s decision provides a detailed description of the daily life and sports-related activities of a NCAA Division I Northwestern football player, often reiterating that the time players devote to football exceeds the time players devote to academic activities. ![]() On March 26, 2014, Peter Sung Ohr, the Chicago Regional Director of the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) ruled that members of the Northwestern University football team receiving athletic scholarships are employees, and not students, under the National Labor Relations Act, allowing them the opportunity to unionize through an NLRB election. ![]()
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