Stanford Players Launch 'Tunnel Diggers Union' Effort

Stanford football players have established a player-led fraternity chapter with the long-term goal of unionization and collective bargaining with the ACC, according to CBS Sports. The offensive line has adopted the colloquial name "Tunnel Diggers Union," with linebacker Ernest Cooper and offensive lineman Fisher Anderson serving as elected player representatives.

Cooper and Anderson are working with Jason Stahl, founder of the College Football Players Association, to educate teammates and organize an ACC-wide drive. Stahl, who previously attempted to organize Penn State players in 2021, believes formal unionization could occur by the end of the decade, though he notes that congressional legislation—such as the Protect College Sports Act—is unlikely to facilitate the process. Stahl stated the goal is to recruit over 1,000 ACC football players to authorize a collective bargaining agent.

Both Anderson and Cooper expressed a desire to be classified as employees. Anderson cited the potential for collective bargaining agreements and improved campus standards, while Cooper argued that the year-round nature of the sport makes players employees of the university.

CBS Sports reports that the university is aware of these efforts. Cooper and Anderson met with general manager Andrew Luck, a former NFL Players Association member, in a meeting the players described as "neutrally positive."

The movement comes amid a history of failed or stalled efforts, including a 2014 attempt at Northwestern that ended when the National Labor Relations Board ruled it lacked jurisdiction over the private institution. ACC commissioner Jim Phillips, who was the athletic director at Northwestern during that effort, previously stated that student-athletes are not employees. More recently, Dartmouth men's basketball players voted to unionize in 2024 before withdrawing their petition due to uncertainty regarding the National Labor Relations Board.