Supreme Court rejects NCAA's antitrust appeal
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the NCAA’s appeal on rulings that found the NCAA’s amateurism rules for Division I college basketball and football players violated federal antitrust law.
That means the NCAA could be subject to more legal cases against it.
The high court also denied Ed O’Bannon’s appeal to reinstate a plan to pay football and basketball players.
In 2014, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken ruled that the NCAA’s use of names, likenesses and images without compensation violated antitrust law. Wilkins also declared that school could pay athletes up to $5,000 per year and the money would go into a trust that would be available to athletes following their college careers. Wilken also said schools could increase scholarship money to cover the total cost of attendance.
However, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year overturned Wilken’s ruling of the $5,000 stipend but still maintained the NCAA had violated antitrust laws.
“While we are disappointed with this decision not to review this case, we remain pleased that the 9th Circuit agreed with us that amateurism is an essential component of college sports and that NCAA members should not be forced by the courts to provide benefits untethered to education, including providing any payments beyond the full cost of attendance,” NCAA chief legal officer Donald Remy said in a statement.
The NCAA has somewhat addressed concerns about collegiate athletes being paid by providing a stipend to cover cost of attendance.
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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday
