Supreme Court says NCAA can't limit some benefits to student athletes

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday that the National Collegiate Athletic Association went too far in blocking some education-related aid for student athletes, a decision that comes as college athletics struggles with the issue of how to preserve its amateur status.

The court said the NCAA violated antitrust laws when it limited the amount students could receive for musical instruments, scientific equipment, postgraduate scholarships, tutoring, academic awards and paid internships.

Writing for the court, Justice Neil Gorsuch said U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken was correct in dismissing the organization's argument that antitrust law doesn't apply to the case. Her decision, he said, was based on "an exhaustive factual record, a thoughtful legal analysis consistent with established antitrust principles, and a healthy dose of judicial humility."

In a concurring opinion, Justice Brett Kavanaugh said the “NCAA and its member colleges are suppressing the pay of student athletes who collectively generate billions of dollars in revenues for colleges every year. Those enormous sums of money flow to seemingly everyone except for student athletes.”

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