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3rd Down: Life on the Northwestern University Football Team Leading Up to Union Vote



This is a big week leading up to the vote on Friday, April 25, by the Northwestern University football team on whether or not to form a union.  There will be a special series this week focusing on the events and issues surrounding this case.During the past few weeks, when spring football occurs, the Northwestern University football team has been dealing with more than simply running through the standard practices and scrimmages.  With the vote on whether or not to unionize pending this Friday, the environment surrounding the football program has been different this spring, compared to years past.


While the head coach of the Northwestern University football team, Pat Fitzgerald, has urged his players to vote against forming a union (ESPN Article), that has not changed the work environment on the field.  While many people have been critical of the coach coming out against his players unionizing, Fitzgerald has still had to lead his team through offseason workouts and drills in preparation for next season.  That alone is not an easy task.  But surround the team with this pending legal issue, a swarm of extra media attention, and a constant buzz among the media and scholars alike over the fact that Northwestern University could become the face of player unionization, and that amplifies Fitzgerald's job immensely.  With this controversy expected to extend into the coming months, Fitzgerald is not likely to see a light at the end of the tunnel with such a high pressure situation amplified by a possible unionization among his football players.

As for the players, it is unsurprising that many on the team have not publicly voiced their opinion, one way or another, on the potential union.  However, it appears that now there are some rumblings that there are not enough votes among the players for a union to succeed.  Granted, at this point, a lot of that talk is conjecture and hearsay, but this is one of the first times I have heard legitimate rumors that the Northwestern players might not unionize after all.  Even though we will not know the outcome of the union vote for likely an extended period of time, this could be a sign of the first crack in the foundation of whatever pro union support exists among the players. 


Additional information on the topic can be found here:  http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/writer/jeremy-fowler/24527497/northwestern-see-football-talk-through-union-haze

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