Dr. Jennifer Lee Hoffman’s and Regena Pauketat’s research is focused on state legislatures, federal courts, and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), all of which are considering questions of college athlete compensation, including whether college athletes should be reclassified from student status to employee status. These cases also consider questions over a fair college athlete wage and other worker protections and benefits such as overtime pay, antitrust restrictions related to endorsements, medical and injury support, and access to media rights and other revenue generated by college athletic programs. Yet, there are no models for college athlete employee status that currently exist. Therefore, we examine labor law and how changes to college athlete employment status will impact students in Washington state. Our report provides findings and recommendations for current and prospective athletes, labor organizations and unions supporting college athletes, and Washington state lawmakers at the state and federal levels interested in college athlete employee legislation.
UW Center for Leadership in Athletics
State of Washington College Athlete Labor Rights: Preparing for Employment & Unionization
This research received the 2023 Washington State Labor Research Grant from the University of Washington Harry Bridges Center Labor Studies.
College Athlete Employment at State of Washington Four-Year Colleges & Universities
College Athlete Employment Models in Washington State
