Nebraska's Kenny Bell says he and Kain Colter discussed unionizing Cornhuskers

Nebraska's Kenny Bell has discussed unionization with Big Ten rival Kain Colter. (Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

Former Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter asked rising senior Nebraska wide receiver Kenny Bell to help spread the push for unionization to Nebraska, according to the AP.

Colter has led the movement to form a union at Northwestern, whose players will vote on April 25 whether to unionize. Bell, a friend of Colter's from Colorado, said that he and Colter have been talking over unionization for roughly a year.

ELLIS: Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald: Players should vote 'no' on union

Nebraska hasn't taken any steps toward unionization yet, but the report says that Colter and Bell have discussed the possibility of bringing the movement to Nebraska. Bell isn't sold on unionization yet, according to the report:

Bell said he isn't sure a union is the answer to athletes' concerns, but he supports the push for measures that would improve the welfare of athletes who generate millions of dollars for their schools.

"A lot of guys don't really know — not just in our locker room, but across the country — what a union necessarily entails," Bell said. "I'll tell you one thing: you can't afford to pay dues because we don't have enough money to eat sometimes. I think a lot of research needs to be done on behalf of the players before they just jump into it."

Because Northwestern is a private school, the National Labor Relations Board ruling that Northwestern football players are employees of the school does not apply to public schools like Nebraska.

Bell is entering his senior season at Nebraska. Last season, he caught 52 passes for 577 yards and four touchdowns.

SI.com: Northwestern QB says union push was rushed, wrong