Dartmouth men’s basketball team votes to unionize in a massive blow to the NCAA’s amateurism model

The GIST: As you read, the Dartmouth men’s basketball team voted 13-2 to unionize yesterday, taking a first step toward recognized university employment in a jarring rebuke of the NCAA’s long-suffering amateurism model.

The context: Last month, a National Labor Review Board (NLRB) regional director ruled that the players are university employees, paving the way for yesterday’s vote. The decision affirmed the team’s desire for fair compensation for their labor, including wages and health care benefits, in a hard break from what they consider an exploitative system.

• Dartmouth has already appealed the February 5th ruling to the NLRB’s national board. If the school is successful, it won’t be the first time the board overturned an athlete unionization attempt — Northwestern football players’ 2014 vote to unionize was denied on a technicality.

• But if the ruling stands, Dartmouth players can negotiate with the school for compensation and become the first NCAA athletes directly paid for their labor. They’ve also indicated their intention to expand the union to other sports and schools within the Ivy League, which notably lacks athletic scholarships.

Zooming out: Following this new precedent, athletes at other private schools (the NLRB does not have jurisdiction over public institutions) could unionize now — and if they do, the NCAA would likely have to give up on amateurism to ensure fairness. Plus, another NLRB case against private school USC, the Pac-12, and the NCAA could map a similar path for public schools.

• As for what happens next, there are more questions than answers, especially for international athletes. But one thing’s certain: The NCAA will never be the same.