Federal Agency Says College Athletes Qualify as Employees

At SXSW earlier in March, former University of Texas linebacker Emmanuel Acho made the case that student-athletes are essentially employees for their collegiate institutions. And therefore, Acho argued, they should be paid.

“I don’t think there’s anything ‘amateur’ about collegiate athletics in a big-time program," Acho said.

On Wednesday, the National Labor Relations Board in Illinois handed down a ruling that legitimized Acho's sentiment. In a decision that could potentially revolutionize college athletics, the board says that football players at Northwestern University can unionize. 

Here's The Associated Press story. 

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