The National College Players Association (NCPA) requested Friday to withdraw its National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) charge against USC, the PAC-12 Conference, and the NCAA, following developments in college athlete compensation. The NCPA argued that recent laws allowing athletes to profit from their names, images, and likenesses (NIL), along with a potential revenue-sharing deal, could help achieve their goal of securing direct payment for athletes.
The group had initially filed the charge in February 2022, accusing USC of interfering with the rights of its football and basketball players by misclassifying them as nonemployees. The case, which could have set a precedent for college athletes’ right to organize under the National Labor Relations Act, is currently pending a ruling after a trial concluded in April 2023.
In its motion, the NCPA stated that significant changes, including the adoption of NIL laws in several states and a new USC payment scheme, had brought the goal of compensating athletes closer to reality. These developments, they argued, should be allowed time to unfold before the case continues.
