A historic union drive
Over 100 women’s college basketball players have signed union authorization cards, marking the most extensive collective effort in the sport’s history. The push began two years ago when a coalition of SEC and Big Ten athletes demanded meetings with conference leaders, only to be rebuffed by SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti before the House v. NCAA antitrust settlement was approved in June.
Oregon State’s women’s basketball team filed a petition for union representation with the Oregon Employment Relations Board on July 31, a move that makes it the first group of female college athletes to formally seek recognition as a players’ union. The filing, which involves a public university, will be decided under state law, underscoring the legal complexity of the campaign.
Oluchi Okananwa, a Maryland senior and All‑Big Ten selection, serves as interim president of the United College Athletes Association, the organization spearheading the effort. Okananwa had previously opposed the SCORE Act, which would have shielded the NCAA from antitrust scrutiny and barred athletes from collective bargaining, a position she now says was misguided.
The UCAA’s advisory board features WNBA standouts Nneka Ogwumike, Elizabeth Williams and Cameron Brink, who have publicly declared that college athletes deserve the same rights and protections as professionals. Their involvement lends both credibility and a high‑profile platform to the movement.
Senators Maria Cantwell and Ted Cruz, co‑leaders of the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act, have voiced support for the unionization drive, framing it as a civil‑rights issue that could reshape compensation and safety standards for student‑athletes across the nation.
Labor experts Jennifer Abruzzo, former General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board, and Meghann Burke, Executive Director of the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association, sit on the UCAA’s advisory board, bringing legal and collective‑bargaining expertise to the campaign.
The interim executive committee includes Jada Williams of LSU, Jenna Villa of Oregon State, Malia Samuels of Indiana, Grace Slaughter of Missouri and Kennedy Lee of San Diego State, reflecting a geographically diverse leadership that aims to amplify the voices of athletes from coast to coast.
The movement’s goals extend beyond compensation to include meaningful protections and collective bargaining agreements that address health, safety and academic support. Co‑founders Andrew Cooper and former Oregon State player Mikayla Pivec have emphasized that the fight is about securing a fair share of the revenue generated by college sports.
Legislative momentum
Beyond the court, the union effort is intersecting with federal policy. The Protect College Sports Act, championed by Senators Cantwell and Cruz, seeks to codify athlete rights and could provide a legislative backbone for future negotiations.
Labor advocates such as Bill Fletcher Jr. and Garrett Broshuis have highlighted the historic nature of the drive, noting that it could set a precedent for all college athletes, regardless of sport or gender.
As the movement gains traction, the next steps will likely involve legal challenges, state‑level union elections and continued pressure on conference leaders to engage in good‑faith bargaining.