Ohio voters oppose letting college athletes unionize to negotiate their rights and working conditions, even though many of them are college sports fans and say unions in general are good for the country.
The Quinnipiac University Polling Institute found 55-38 percent of Buckeye State voters oppose the idea, which burst into view this year when players at Northwestern University in Illinois pushed the concept, setting off an ongoing labor dispute.
The poll found that 55 percent of voters think “colleges are losing sight of their academic mission because of sports,” and 37 percent say “colleges are balancing their academic mission and sports appropriately.”
“Ohioans may love their Buckeyes, and they have a favorable view of unions, but they don’t think the two should meet,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac Poll.
“Only Democrats and voters under 35 favor allowing college athletes to unionize. But not even they support the idea of college athletes receiving salaries in addition to the value of their scholarships,” he said.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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