JEFFREY BROWN:

For now, the ruling applies only to private colleges and universities, but it is the first of its kind. And the decision is expected to reverberate more broadly.

The ruling said the university's primary relationship with the football players was an economic one.

Michael McCann is director of the University of New Hampshire's Sports and Entertainment Law Institute, and legal analyst for "Sports Illustrated" magazine. He joins us now.

The key thing here, Mr. McCann, is the finding that these athletes qualify as employees, not just students? Explain that and why it's so important.

MICHAEL MCCANN, University of New Hampshire Law School: Sure.

It's important because, by being declared employees, the student athletes will be able to then unionize, and they will be able to enter into collective bargaining with Northwestern University and try to demand salary benefits, but more than that, also, better health care benefits, disability payments, workers' comp, the typical benefits that go along with the status of employment, which they currently do not get as student athletes.