Supreme Court Hears Arguments About Paying College Athletes

The Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday over whether schools can offer Division I basketball and football college athletes tens of thousands of dollars in education-related benefits, for things like computers, graduate scholarships, tutoring, study abroad and internships.

Under the NCAA’s rules, students can’t be paid and their scholarship money is capped at the cost of attending the school. The former college athletes who brought the case said the rules are unfair and violate federal antitrust law designed to promote competition.

The NCAA said removing restrictions would create bidding wars for players. The justices seemed sympathetic to the athletes’ in the case, which is only about education-related benefits, not paying athletes.