Student-athletes of the Northwestern football team have officially cast their secret union ballots, marking a historic event in college athletics.

For the first time ever, college athletes voted whether or not to form a union. According to ESPN's "Outside the Lines" (OTL), reporters gathered at the school outside a building on campus where the ballot was held.

One player said to the reporters, "You got to give the people what they want!" Others waved while one player broke out in dance moves. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) granted Northwestern University's request to stay the results, meaning the public will not know how the players voted until the school's appeal is finalized.

In two rounds of voting, several players expressed excitement after their votes, but none stopped to talk to the group of reporters.

The NLRB ruled Northwestern football players under scholarship can be considered employees and therefore have the right to form a union. If they vote in favor of the union, it would be the first ever in college sports and they would be able to collectively bargain for benefits.

Kain Colter, Northwestern's quarterback last season, will be graduating in the spring, but has led the movement to form a union on the team. He arrived on campus at five a.m. to act as a representative of the College Athletes Players Association (CAPA), but three Northwestern lawyers asked him to leave.

"We did not want any issue," John Adam, the lead attorney for the union, told ESPN. "We know who the eligible players are. They did not want Kain to be there. Instead of arguing about it, we left."

The NCAA and Northwestern have been outspokenly opposed to the prospect of a union in college athletics. Ramogi Huma, CAPA president, told the Washington Post players were being pressured by the school to discourage players for voting in favor of the union.

"They're looking at anything and everything to invoke fear in the players," he said. "We feel like some of the tactics are scare tactics."

Northwestern denied applying pressure to its student-athletes one way or another in a statement.

Michael Odom, 20, said he quit the team because he could not handle the demanding football schedule. He told ESPN a union in college sports was "long overdue" and that players on the team said they were pressured to vote against it.

"I don't know if intimidation is the word I'd use," Odom said. "I think that's a little strong. I know a lot of my teammates have been influenced by former players as well as coaches and officials at the university."

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