CONNECTICUT, USA — WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has decided unanimously that the NCAA cannot enforce rules limiting education-related benefits that colleges offer to student athletes — things like computers and paid internships. Monday's ruling will help determine whether schools decide to offer athletes tens of thousands of dollars in those benefits for things including tutoring, study abroad programs and graduate scholarships. The case doesn’t decide whether students can be paid salaries. Under current NCAA rules, students cannot be paid, and the scholarship money colleges can offer is capped at the cost of attending the school. The NCAA had defended its rules as necessary to preserve the amateur nature of college sports.
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy- “Today’s Supreme Court ruling highlights just how much the tide is turning against the NCAA and its unfair treatment of college athletes. The status quo on ‘amateurism’ is finally changing and the NCAA no longer has carte blanche to control athletes’ livelihoods and monopolize the market. This is the kind of justice, and basic rights, college athletes deserve. Hopefully the NCAA sees today’s ruling as a catalyst for change, but I’ll keep pressing ahead to allow athletes the unrestricted ability to make money off their talent and collectively bargain with their programs and the institution as a whole.”
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal- “A resounding & unanimous win for student athletes. This decision rightly recognizes that the NCAA’s “amateurism” rules exploit the students who fuel this nearly 20 billion dollar industry. This precedent will help further protect athletes’ economic rights & wellbeing.”
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh- (from decision)
“To be sure, the NCAA and its member colleges maintain important traditions that have become part of the fabric of America- games days in Tuscaloosa and South Bend; the packed gyms in Storrs and Durham; the women’s and men’s lacrosse championships on Memorial Day weekend; track and field meets in Eugene; the spring softball and baseball World Series in Oklahoma City and Omaha; the list goes on. But those traditions alone cannot justify the NCAA’s decision to build a massive money-raising enterprise on the backs of student athletes who are not fairly compensated. 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. “
Mark Emmert, President of NCAA -
“While today’s decision preserves the lower court ruling, it also reaffirms the NCAA’s authority to adopt reasonable rules and repeatedly notes that the NCAA remains free to articulate what are and are not truly educational benefits, consistent with the NCAA’s mission to support student-athletes.
“‘Even though the decision does not directly address name, image and likeness, the NCAA remains committed to supporting NIL benefits for student-athletes,’ said NCAA President Mark Emmert. ‘Additionally, we remain committed to working with Congress to chart a path forward, which is a point the Supreme Court expressly stated in its ruling.'”
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
