With another March Madness in full swing, people across the country are packing into stadiums, tuning in to buzzer beater matchups, and as a result, helping to fuel a multibillion-dollar sports enterprise.

The NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments generate enormous amounts of revenue not just for the conference but also for TV networks and advertisers, corporate sponsors and participating colleges and universities. In fiscal year 2024, the NCAA made nearly $1.4 billion in total revenue — about $1 billion of it from March Madness alone — and roughly 60% flowed back to member schools.

Yet, the players — whose blood, sweat and labor make the tournament possible — are denied workplace rights and protections because this huge profit-making industry refuses to recognize them for what they are: hard-working employees. The exploitation of this vulnerable group of young workers, which has persisted for decades and has become increasingly indefensible, has to end.

As I asserted while serving as general counsel at the National Labor Relations Board, the NCAA and its member institutions exert tremendous control over athletes. Daily hours for learning are severely limited by inflexible schedules. Competition and training hours are tracked. Outside........

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