https://www.vox.com/2021/10/1/22702807/ncaa-student-athlete-misclassification-level-playing-field

A key government official declared that players are actually employees, but the league is still avoiding worker protections – just like gig economy companies around the nation.

On September 29, the top lawyer at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Jennifer Abruzzo, issued a memo declaring that the institutions of college sports — including the NCAA, its member conferences, and universities — are misclassifying players as “student-athletes,” rather than employees entitled to basic worker protections and benefits. Abruzzo added that she would take legal action wherever the agency has jurisdiction under the National Labor Relations Act if the practice continues.