The debate on whether college athletes can unionize within a conference is ongoing. Laws regarding collective bargaining differ state by state, posing challenges for conferences like the SEC and Big Ten. While some states allow unionization, others do not. Experts suggest that even if federal laws change, state laws may still dominate until after the 2024 election.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/karenweaver/2024/10/27/can-college-athletes-unionize-within-a-conference-state-laws-will-dominate-until-after-the-2024-election/