Labor relations board files complaint against USC over athlete compensation

By The Associated Press

FILE- In this Oct. 10, 2015, file photo, a PAC-12 logo is displayed on the field before an NCAA college football game between Washington State and Oregon in Eugene, Ore. The Pac-12 will provide more access to players and coaches during broadcasts of football games next season, including in-game coaches interviews and halftime camera access. The changes will be implemented throughout football broadcasts on ESPN, Fox Sports and the Pac-12 Networks. (AP Photo/Ryan Kang, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Ryan Kang]

WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — The National Labor Relations Board has filed a formal complaint against Southern California, the Pac-12 and the NCAA alleging misclassification of college athletes as “student-athletes” instead of employees. The complaint by the NLRB’s Los Angeles office seeks an order requiring USC, the Pac-12 and the NCAA to reclassify football and basketball players as employees instead of student-athletes in their handbooks and rules. It was based on a complaint by the National College Players Association to the Department of Justice filed in December that accused the NCAA of violating antitrust laws by capping compensation to athletes.