Opening the Ballot Box: Examining the Union Voting Behavior of Scholarship Football Players

Abstract

Northwestern football players were the first college sports team to participate in a union certification election. The NLRB declined to assert jurisdiction and the ballots were not counted. This paper examines the nexus of factors influencing voting patterns at Northwestern based on both survey data and extensive interviews. The findings affirm and extend those from prior union voting behavior studies. Here, however, intersectionality of race and socio-economic status was a key factor. Voting also turned-on perceptions of employee status and what party or parties constituted management. Animosity toward the NCAA was close to unanimous while players were hesitant to shed negative light on Northwestern.