$11.3 billion dollars.

That’s how much money the NCAA is making from television deals for both football and basketball, not including the revenue gained from merchandise and other miscellaneous sales. This is all going into the pockets of the NCAA a “non-profit” organization. That is why Northwestern football players have decided to attempt to unionize.

The Northwestern football team is the first college team to successfully have the chance to unionize. Northwestern University lost the appeal to the National Labor Relations Board; they argued that the players were not in fact employees and therefore couldn’t unionize. After the University lost the appeal, the players were allowed to vote on whether to unionize or not. That vote is currently being calculated. With the University still fighting this the official numbers may not come out for days, months, and maybe even years. If it comes out in favor of unionization, the players will focus on the $30 million a year that the football team brings to the university.

The players do not seek to be paid money for their services to the university they simply seek benefits, like health care to ensure that if they are hurt the university won’t force them out. They also seek heath care for injuries they suffered during college that have affected them in their lives after college. In the NCAA’s eyes, though, these athletes are already receiving benefits from their free rides, but that’s the thing; it’s not free. As I talked about in a previous article about athletes being paid, these student-athletes are working much harder than the average student. Regardless of whether the Northwestern players are able to unionize or not this will pave the way for other teams to stand up for themselves.