“I don’t feel student-athletes should get hundreds of thousands of dollars, but like I said, there are hungry nights that I go to bed and I’m starving … I just feel like a student-athlete, and sometimes, like I said, there’s hungry nights and I’m not able to eat and I still got to play up to my capabilities … When you see your jersey getting sold — it may not have your last name on it — but when you see your jersey getting sold and things like that, you feel like you want something in return.”
– Shabazz Napier, the starring University of Connecticut point guard who lead the Huskies to NCAA victory Monday, discusses the Northwestern University union ruling, which said student-athletes can unionize. Napier’s comment has drawn the attention of Connecticut lawmakers, including Rep. Matthew Lesser. As a public institution, UConn is subject to Connecticut law, which governs whether public employees can organize.