EDUCATION

The latest on athlete unions: Northwestern official praises NLRB ruling blocking unionization

Associated Press
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Northwestern football players are reflected in a helmet during drills at practice at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside campus on Monday, Aug. 17, 2015, in Kenosha, Wi. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps) (The Associated Press)

Northwestern football player Matt Alvita throws during practice at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside campus on Monday, Aug. 17, 2015, in Kenosha, Wi. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps) (The Associated Press)

The latest on the National Labor Relations Board's decision preventing Northwestern University football players from unionizing (all times are local):

12:05 p.m.

The vice president for university relations at Northwestern says school officials are pleased by a National Labor Relations Board ruling preventing college football players from forming a union.

In a statement released Monday after the decision, Alan K. Cubbage thanked the players for "bringing national attention to these important issues" but said "collective bargaining are not the appropriate methods to address the concerns."

Cubbage says the school maintains that participation in athletics isn't a separate entity from being a student athlete. He says the university will work with the athletes to address their concerns about the long-term health impact of playing intercollegiate sports, including by providing additional academic aid and other opportunities.