Ramogi Huma, president of the College Athletes Players Association, and former Wildcat quarterback Kain Colter — leaders of the movement to unionize college sports — at the Aspen Institute in Washington, DC. (Photo Credit: Steve Johnson)
UPDATED: Watch video of the conversation or download the audio, or read the transcript .
One week after a National Labor Relations Board regional office decided that football players at Northwestern University are in fact employees, the leaders of that movement — former Wildcat quarterback Kain Colter and Ramogi Huma, president of the College Athletes Players Association — joined the Aspen Institute Sports and Society Program Director and ESPN reporter Tom Farrey for a moderated conversation about college athletics, and later a Q&A session with reporters.
In the video clip below, Colter explains why he thinks college athletes need union representation.
Huma discussed what he hopes to see from a college athlete’s union, including more long-term health and tuition benefits, and more support to increase graduation rates among college players.
Prominent press coverage of Colter and Huma’s conversation can be found below:
- The Washington Post: Mike Wise: Kain Colter’s Unionization Effort is Fueled by Compassion, Common Sense
- The Nation: Why Is Northwestern Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald Playing the Union Buster?
- Inside Higher Ed: Football Union Lobbying
- Reuters: Northwestern Quarterback Says ‘Confident’ of Unionization Vote
- Washington Post: Northwestern Football Union Leaders Take Their Case to Capitol Hill
- USA Today: CAPA Union Proponents Share Message with Congress
- The Chronicle of Higher Education: Leaders of Athlete-Union Effort Seek Support on Capitol Hill
- The Aspen Times: Bringing it Home: Aspen Institute Tackles Unionization in College Sports
- CNN: Pressure Builds as Northwestern Football Team Union Vote Nears
RELATED CONTENT:
