Stanford football players are laying the foundation for what could become a significant unionization effort across the ACC. The team’s offensive line, informally calling themselves the “Tunnel Diggers Union,” has established a player-led fraternity chapter designed to educate teammates about labor organization. Linebacker Ernest Cooper and offensive lineman Fisher Anderson serve as elected player representatives and have been working with Jason Stahl, founder of the College Football Players Association, to develop the infrastructure for broader organizing efforts.
The initiative addresses a gap in ongoing debates about college athletics reform, where athlete voices are often absent from high-level discussions among administrators, legislators, and advocates. When asked directly about employment classification, both Cooper and Anderson expressed support for being recognized as employees, citing the year-round nature of football and the justification this would provide for collective bargaining rights and associated benefits. Industry sources indicate that conference-level bargaining arrangements may be more practical than school-by-school negotiations, noting that Big Ten athletes already receive 1099 tax forms from their conference for revenue-sharing compensation.
Stahl envisions formal unionization as a possibility by the end of the decade, though he emphasizes the current stage represents only preliminary groundwork. His strategy involves establishing fraternity chapters at ACC schools and recruiting over 1000 football players to authorize collective bargaining representation. This approach differs markedly from previous unionization attempts in college sports, including a 2014 effort at Northwestern that ultimately failed when the National Labor Relations Board declined jurisdiction, and a 2024 effort at Dartmouth that was withdrawn due to uncertainty surrounding the newly constituted NLRB.
Despite historical obstacles, attitudes toward athlete unionization appear to be shifting within college athletics leadership. Several coaches and administrators, including Boston College coach Bill O’Brien and Syracuse Chancellor Kent Syverud, have publicly endorsed the concept of collective bargaining structures. Cooper and Anderson acknowledge they likely will not witness the completion of the process they are initiating, positioning the effort as one that future generations of college athletes will carry forward to potential fruition.
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