A recent ruling that allows the Dartmouth basketball team to unionize has sparked a conversation about the future of college sports, stretching from the prestigious Ivy League to the powerhouse football programs of schools like Michigan and Alabama. While the ruling puts the players on a path toward forming a union, there are still significant hurdles to overcome before they can sit down with the school and negotiate a collective bargaining agreement.
Dartmouth has stated its intentions to appeal the decision to the full National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and if they suffer another loss, the case could end up in federal courts. It is unlikely that a final outcome would be reached before most of the current players have graduated and moved on to non-athletic careers. So, the road ahead is long and uncertain for the Dartmouth basketball players seeking to establish a union.
