Dartmouth Men’s Basketball Team Takes Steps Towards Unionization

In a significant move, players from Dartmouth’s men’s basketball team have initiated the process of forming a union. On Wednesday, a group of 15 players associated with the school’s basketball program officially submitted a petition to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) with the aim of unionizing. This development carries profound implications for the landscape of college sports.

It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first instance of a college sports team pursuing unionization. Back in 2014, Northwestern University’s football team made a similar attempt. However, those efforts were rejected by the NLRB, which asserted its jurisdiction solely over the private sector.

At Dartmouth, head coach Pat Fitzgerald had openly opposed the unionization efforts, contending in a written statement that players would be shifting their trust away from familiar figures such as the coaching staff and administrators. In a subsequent turn of events, the school dismissed Fitzgerald earlier this year in response to allegations of widespread hazing and racism within the football program.

Amid the controversy, an advocate for college athletes, Michael Hsu, lodged a complaint with the NLRB. Hsu emphasized the need to reevaluate the situation, stating to Front Office Sports, “This situation is just ripe to be looked at again. We know a lot of [abuse] would have been avoidable. … And frankly, the crazy thing is, it’s the same coach.”

In a significant development in 2021, Jennifer Abruzzo, an attorney for the NLRB, issued a memorandum categorizing college athletes participating in revenue-generating sports at private institutions as employees. She argued that these athletes should possess the right to unionize and negotiate their working conditions, especially in the evolving landscape of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities.

Abruzzo articulated, “The freedom to engage in far-reaching and lucrative business enterprises makes players at academic institutions much more similar to professional athletes who are employed by a team to play a sport, while simultaneously pursuing business ventures to capitalize on their fame and increase their income.”

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