Collective bargaining is one of numerous paths forward for college sports during the name, image and likeness era. William Gould, a Stanford law professor and the former chairman of the National Labor Relations Board, called it the “best of the alternatives.” He prefers unionizing over the passage of antitrust exemption bills like the Protect College Sports Act, which was backed by the Big Ten and SEC on Friday. The bill would cap player compensation and strictly regulate transfers without needing a union agreement.

“We need rules, but we need regulation in which the athletes have an involvement in shaping their own destiny,” Gould told the Chronicle. “It is an important first step, and I’m very pleased that the Stanford football players took the step. I think it sends a message to athletes throughout the country that they can possibly have a say or an involvement in the conditions of work and compensation for what they do for universities and colleges everywhere.”