Northwestern Univ. football players allowed to seek union representation

(Reuters) - Northwestern University football players who get scholarships are school employees under federal law and can, therefore, pursue union representation, a U.S. labor agency decided on Wednesday in a move that has the potential to reshape college athletics.

A regional office of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) said all football players at the Evanston, Illinois, university who are receiving financial assistance, and who have not exhausted their playing eligibility, will be eligible to vote in an upcoming union election supervised by the NLRB.

(Reporting by Amanda Becker; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Gunna Dickson)

[Image via Northwestern Wildcats official Facebook page]