US college sport is digesting the impact of a Supreme Court ruling that could open the way for significant financial compensation for student-athletes that has hitherto been forbidden.

The court yesterday voted 9-0 to quash the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s limits on education-related benefits that universities can provide.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

The limits on non-cash payments for elements such as computers and graduate scholarships were deemed to be a violation of antitrust law.

The case was pursued by a group of former college athletes, and had the support of leagues including American football’s NFL and basketball’s NBA and WNBA, as well as the US government of president Joe Biden.

Under current regulations, student-athletes cannot be paid salaries, and the NCAA had defended the limits on education benefits as necessary to maintain the amateur status of college sports.

See Also:

The Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling barring the NCAA from enforcing the rules, with Justice Neil Gorsuch claiming that the college sports body had sought “immunity from the normal operation of the antitrust laws”.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

It is thought that the ruling will at least prepare the ground for colleges to offer benefits amounting to thousands of dollars to attract talented athletes, and potentially financial payments in the future.

There is already a move towards this outcome, with the NCAA considering changes to its rules that would allow athletes to profit from their names, images and likenesses through sponsorship deals, online endorsements and personal appearances.