College football players won't be allowed to unionize

Northwestern University football players cannot form a union, the National Labor Relations Board ruled Monday in a binding decision that shut down the students' fight to change the nature of college athletics. The unanimous decision overturned the board's March 2014 ruling in favor of the players, which the university had appealed.

Unionizing "would not promote uniformity and stability in labor relations," the board's opinion read. Most of the NCAA's football schools are public, including all of Northwestern's Big Ten competitors, which wouldn't be subject to the same guidelines, Bloomberg News reports.

The group trying to unionize, the College Athletes Players Association, was led by former Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter. They argued they are employees of the school, and should be entitled to pay and benefits beyond what's provided in their scholarships.

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Northwestern players voted in 2014 on whether they'd want to unionize, but since the ballots were only to be counted if the ultimate ruling went in their favor, it's unclear if they had enough support for a union.