Workers\u27 Compensation and Student-Athletes: Protecting the Unpaid Talent in the Profit-Making Enterprise of Collegiate Athletics Notes

As everyone involved in college athletics continues to profit off of the millions of dollars in television contracts, student-athletes remain the sole contributors who are left out of the benefits. Student-athlete compensation debates have grown in recent years, while animosity toward the National Collegiate Athletic Association continues to grow as well. While jumping from no compensation to full salary and benefits similar to a professional athlete is unlikely, there are other ways in which universities can compensate their student-athletes. One way to partially compensate athletes for their contributions on the field can come in the form of workers’ compensation payments. This Note argues that recent decisions in the Ninth Circuit and the National Labor Relations Board have begun to redefine student-athletes as employees, and because of this, they should be entitled to workers’ compensation payments. While this is not a full salary, providing workers’ compensation is feasible for universities and it can be the first step to compensating student-athletes who make millions of dollars for their schools, conferences, and the NCAA as a whole