(BLOOMINGTON, Ind.) – A unanimous U.S. Supreme Court ruling against the NCAA could open the door for more college athletes to seek compensation for their play.
A lawsuit filed by 29 former football and basketball players doesn’t address the long-running debate over paying players directly. But the justices agree the NCAA can’t restrict benefits that are education-related, from scholarships to iPads to take notes on.
IU Kelley School of Business Professor Nathaniel Grow says while this decision is narrow, it sets the stage for a direct legal assault on the ban on compensating athletes. And by finding the NCAA is subject to antitrust laws, he says, the ruling will force the organization to find stronger legal justifications for other rules which may face challenges.
Grow says the decision is also likely to lead to athletic departments getting “creative” with benefits that can be classified as educational.
