The Weekender: NLRB Rules Dartmouth Athletes As Employees, Tennessee and Virginia’s NIL Lawsuit Hits A Roadblock and Grubb Leaves Alabama For The NFL

NLRB Rules Dartmouth Athletes As Employees Of The University

The National Labor Relations Board ruled on Monday that members of the Dartmouth men’s basketball team are university employees, paving the way for the Big Green to potentially become the first unionized program in NCAA history. 

Monday’s ruling comes after months of action from the players, starting in September 2023 when all 15 team members signed and filed a petition to unionize with a chapter of the Service Employees Union. 

Despite rebuttals from Dartmouth College administration and the NCAA, NLRB Regional Director Laura Sacks determined that Big Green athletes are employees under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). 

There is still a long way to go in the process, however, as Dartmouth administration could still appeal the NLRB’s regional ruling to the national board. A similar situation arose in 2014 when the Northwestern football team held a union election, which was quickly shut down by a university appeal at the national level. 

Tennessee and Virginia’s NIL Lawsuit Hits Roadblock

The legal battle between the Universities of Tennessee and Virginia against the NCAA heated up during the week after U.S. District Judge Clifton Corker upheld the NCAA’s prohibition of name, image and likeness compensation from being used as a recruiting inducement. 

Corker’s decision ultimately denied a temporary restraining order request from Tennessee and Virginia, which filed federal antitrust laws against the NCAA last week, after it was revealed that Tennessee was under NCAA investigation for potential NIL-related recruiting violations. The states sought this temporary restraining order to protect recruits’ rights to earn compensation for their name, image and likeness. 

Corker based his ruling on the described failure of both states to provide reasoning as to how recruits would be harmed if the temporary restraining order were not granted. 

The next step in the lawsuit is the preliminary injunction hearing, which is set for Tuesday. 

Grubb Leaves Alabama To Become Offensive Coordinator Of The Seattle Seahawks

As the college football coaching carousel continues to swing well into February, Alabama’s offseason of horrors continued on Friday evening as offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb — who followed new Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer from Washington — was hired by the Seattle Seahawks. 

Grubb’s departure comes just a month after he joined DeBoer’s staff in Tuscaloosa after spending a pair of seasons with the Crimson Tide skipper at Washington — where the duo helped the Huskies claim the 2023 Pac-12 title and an appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. It’s yet another gut punch for Alabama, which saw legendary head coach Nick Saban retire and a mass departure of key contributors enter the transfer portal in January. 

Grubb’s rise to the NFL may also signal a sign of things to come, as it comes in the wake of former Ohio State defensive coordinator and Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley’s surprise decision to leave the Golden Eagle program and become the defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers on Jan. 31. 

ICYMI

NEW OHIO STATE OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR CHIP KELLY HAS HISTORY OF LEADING ELITE OFFENSES, ESPECIALLY IN THE RUN GAME

After the departure of offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien to become the head coach at Boston College, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day hired his mentor Chip Kelly to head the Buckeye offense. Dan Hope analyzes Kelly’s offensive prowess at previous stops in his career. 

RYAN DAY STILL EVALUATING OPTIONS FOR OHIO STATE'S FINAL ASSISTANT COACH OPENING

Andy Anders analyzes how Ohio State could approach its lone available spot on Day’s coaching staff.

LARRY JOHNSON PROUD TO WATCH FORMER OHIO STATE DEFENSIVE ENDS NICK BOSA, CHASE YOUNG PLAY TOGETHER FOR SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS IN SUPER BOWL LVIII

As former Ohio State defensive ends Nick Bosa and Chase Young have a chance to become Super Bowl champions on Sunday as members of the San Francisco 49ers, Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson expressed pride at how far the duo has come. 

What’s Next

Women’s Basketball: vs. Michigan State, Sunday at 4 p.m. (Peacock)

Men’s Basketball: @ Wisconsin, Tuesday at 9 p.m. (Peacock)

62 Days: Ohio State’s spring game

202 Days: Ohio State’s season-opener vs. Akron

293 Days: The Game