On Friday, InsideNU attended the ongoing National Labor Relations Board hearing meant to decide whether Northwestern football players are employees. Kevin Trahan and Chris Johnson wrote about the nearly three hours of testimony given by Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald.
"Throughout the proceedings, the lawyers for the College Athletes Players Association have held that the player-coach relationship is actually an employee-employer relationship, since the coaches control the player's compensation — their scholarship. For example, CAPA has claimed, Fitzgerald can decide to pull a player's scholarship," Trahan wrote USA TODAY.
"In his cross-examination of Fitzgerald, an attorney representing CAPA asked Fitzgerald whether he believed Colter testified truthfully. The CAPA attorney also asked detailed questions about the schedules Fitzgerald and his staff put in place for players, and he pressed the coach on the team’s policy regarding player dismissal. Fitzgerald said any decision to revoke a player’s scholarship from the team is made in conjunction with university officials and that punishment for broken rules often involves extra study halls," Johnson wrote for Sports Illustrated.
The hearing is expected to conclude on Tuesday. InsideNU will provide coverage of the closing arguments.