Athlete Group Tests NCAA Player Rights With Labor Complaint

A new advocacy group has filed a U.S. labor board complaint against the National Collegiate Athletic Association, in what could be the first step in determining whether the government will treat college athletes as employees with union rights.

The National Labor Relations Board filing accused the NCAA of violating federal labor law by misclassifying its players as “student-athletes,” rather than employees with workplace protections. The complaint was filed Wednesday and assigned to the labor board’s Indianapolis office, according to the agency’s docket.

The NCAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The NLRB enforces U.S. law protecting private ...