3. Players as employees, unions or collective bargaining
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Insiders (sourced entries)
Supporters or sympathizers
Kain Colter and Ramogi Huma (2014); Archie Griffin (2014); Trey Johnson (2019, minimum wage); Chase Griffin (2024); Dartmouth's Cade Haskins and Romeo Myrthil (2024); Jim Cavale of Athletes.org (2025); Jason Stahl and the CFBPA (2026 platform); Cam Newton (2025–26, player contracts); Kirk Herbstreit (2026, a union so rules survive antitrust suits).
“We don't have a voice. It's a dictatorship where everything is put on us without our input, without a negotiation right now we just want a seat at the table.”
As Northwestern players petitioned the NLRB to form a union, Colter said players have no voice in NCAA decisions and need collective protections like guaranteed medical coverage, similar to NFL and NBA players.
“If you get hurt in school colors, just because someone labels you as an amateur doesn't mean you shouldn't be taken care of for that injury, when there is a multi-billion dollar industry.”
Backing the Northwestern union petition, Huma argued that athletes hurt while playing deserve medical protection regardless of the 'amateur' label.
“The players are not blind. They see the dollars being made in the game. It's obvious.”
Responding to the NLRB ruling that Northwestern players were employees, said it was no surprise given the money in the sport and that players feel the amateur label keeps them from what they deserve.
“They pay the students who tear the tickets and sell popcorn at our games. The least that the NCAA can do for those who bring so much money to the NCAA and its schools would be to pay them the minimum wage.”
Filed a class action claiming the NCAA and schools are joint employers owing athletes at least minimum wage, comparing them to work-study students who tear tickets and sell popcorn.
“But based on the time, effort and hours, we operate as employees currently.”
Griffin was the first Power Five football player to testify at a House NIL hearing. He said momentum favors athlete compensation and that, based on time and effort, athletes already operate as employees, though the NLRB would decide that.
“Let's work together to create a less exploitative business model for college sports.”
After Dartmouth players voted 13–2 to join SEIU Local 560, the first college team union, called for a less exploitative business model.
“It's, how are the athletes treated, and they've been treated like employees for a long time.”
Said Athletes.org isn't necessarily seeking employee status but that athletes have long been treated like employees; 94% of players at its CFP-week meeting wanted to learn about an employment model.
“We're living in a contractual — put it in the contract.”
After Nico Iamaleava's NIL holdout at Tennessee, Newton said the episode was good because it would push the sport toward governance. He called for contracts that withhold money from players who skip games, bowls, practices or meetings.
No verbatim quote recorded for this entry; summary of the source only.
The CFBPA's 10-point 'Platform for Change' calls for collective bargaining covering independent medical care, safer practice standards, long-term health protections, a protected offseason, revenue sharing with league minimums, and player-negotiated free agency/eligibility rules and season length/playoff expansion. It also wants union-facilitated group NIL and union certification of agents.
“I think the Power 4 needs to break away, create their own world, create their own governing body.”
At Super Bowl LX radio row, Herbstreit laid out three fixes. He called for a national commissioner, for the Power 4 to break away with its own governing body (leaving the Group of 6 its own playoff), and for players to unionize so they can collectively bargain rules that hold up against antitrust suits.
“The issue isn't the NIL, the issue isn't players making money. The issue is the ability for players to transfer to teams to other teams, and another team, but if we do it for the players, we gotta do it for the coaches.”
Responding to Nick Saban's White House remarks, Newton called returning the focus to education 'hogwash.' He proposed two- to three-year player contracts and limits on excessive transfers, with matching accountability for coaches, including in-season job changes and buyouts.
Predicted a union
Matt Leinart (2022).
“It's gonna become the NFL. You have these two conferences, the transfer portal is free agency. Will there be a player's union at some point? There's no governance right now.”
Predicted college football 'is gonna become the NFL', with two super-conferences, the portal as free agency and possibly a players' union within three to five years.
Opponents
Myles Brand (2006); Mark Emmert (2011, 2019); Larry Scott (2014); Dabo Swinney (2014); Gene Smith (2019); Jack Swarbrick (2023); George Kliavkoff (2023, "existential threat"); Tim Pernetti (2026).
“'Amateur' defines the participants, not the enterprise.”
In his centennial State of the Association address, Brand said athletes are not paid because they are students, not employees. He also argued that college sports should run their business side well, since amateurism describes the participants rather than the enterprise.
“Turning them into professional athletes is not the solution to the challenges we face right now.”
Emmert defended the new $2,000 cost-of-attendance stipend as support for students, not pay for play, which he said was not up for discussion. He also warned that realignment was causing damaging cross-country travel and fear-driven decisions.
“But as far as paying players, professionalizing college athletics, that's where you lose me.”
Asked about the Northwestern players' union push, Swinney said he opposed paying players and professionalizing college athletics, and suggested that any improvements, such as a post-graduation annuity or stipend, should be tied to education and graduation.
“But there is absolutely no question that turning students into employees would take us in precisely the opposite direction that we need to go.”
Responding to the NLRB ruling on Northwestern players, Scott wrote that treating athletes as employees would be a terrible idea. Instead he called for NCAA reform with more academic support, better health care, and scholarships covering the full cost of attendance.
“College athletics is about college students playing other college students, not employees playing employees.”
During California's Fair Pay to Play debate, Emmert argued against treating athletes as employees and warned that California schools could be barred from NCAA championships.
“We believe in the collegiate model, not the professional model.”
When the NCAA Board of Governors opened the door to NIL, Smith said the association would not move to a model where athletes are employees or are paid to play.
“Are student-athletes deemed to be employees if they are unionized and collectively bargained?”
Called athlete employee status a 'bigger and existential threat' than NIL, warning that unionization and collective bargaining would dry up money for Olympic and women's sports.
“I think the decision-making lost its way in terms of the focus on the student-athlete and what's primarily best for them, but we are where we are.”
On The Dan Patrick Show, Swarbrick called realignment 'a complete disaster' driven by money and said decision-making had lost focus on athletes. He urged more regional scheduling and said athletes don't need to become employees.
“99 out of a hundred student athletes in our league don't want to be employees”
Pernetti said the SCORE Act doesn't solve college sports' economic crisis. He argued the industry is designed to serve the top 1 percent and that nearly all of his league's athletes don't want to be employees.
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