Northwestern football players win unionizing bid

The Chicago district of the National Labor Relations Board made a groundbreaking ruling Wednesday that Northwestern University football players qualify as school employees and have the power to unionize.

According to ESPN, labor board officials said players' time committed to the sport and the fact scholarships are tied directly to on-field performance were factors in granting union rights. The College Athletes Players Association, along with former Wildcats quarterback Kain Colter and the United Steelworkers union, brought the case to the NLRB.

Northwestern’s legal team has indicated it plans to appeal the labor board’s ruling.

"Northwestern believes strongly that our student-athletes are not employees, but students. Unionization and collective bargaining are not the appropriate methods to address the concerns raised by student-athletes," a school statement reads.

According to ESPN, NCAA and Big Ten officials also disagree with student unionizization.

Read more from ESPN.