For years college athletes have been unable to profit from their contribution or their likeness as an athlete. Finally, that’s about to change.
Politico reported, “The Supreme Court sided with college athletes on Monday, ruling the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s restrictions on education benefits for players violate the nation’s antitrust laws.
The 9-0 decision represents a landmark victory for college players and a significant moment in the history of college athletics, as lawmakers in Congress and statehouses weigh new laws to allow athletes to profit from personal endorsements and sponsorships.”
“Nowhere else in America can businesses get away with agreeing not to pay their workers a fair market rate on the theory that their product is defined by not paying their workers a fair market rate. And under ordinary principles of antitrust law, it is not evident why college sports should be any different. The NCAA is not above the law,” Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote.
This came after the NCAAA attempted to argue that they were immune to such anti trust laws that the Supreme Court was so focused on.
“To the extent [the NCAA] means to propose a sort of judicially ordained immunity from the terms of the Sherman Act for its restraints of trade—that we should overlook its restrictions because they happen to fall at the intersection of higher education, sports, and money—we cannot agree,” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote.
It is truly fascinating how, fir so long the NCAA was able to completely control their players disallowing them compensation or engagement with sponsors even though they would be considered workers much like athletes in professional sports programs.
This decision may open up a new window of progression for the careers of college athletes.