NCAA’s ‘Amateurism’ Hits a Wall at the Supreme Court
Thanks to a former “sneaker pimp,” compensating college athletes is an idea whose time has come.
A lot of money, just none for players.
Photographer: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
They say you should never presume how a U.S. Supreme Court case is going to turn out based on the questions the justices ask, but it was hard not to be hopeful — and maybe even a little giddy — after Wednesday’s oral arguments in National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Shawne Alston, et al.
Last year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that the NCAA’s rules about amateurism — rules designed to prevent college athletes from reaping any money from their talent — violated antitrust laws. Further, the court upheld the district court’s remedy: Players could reap any reward from a university as long as it was related to education.