• Loading stock data...
Friday, September 5, 2025
Fox Analyst and Media Entrepreneur Greg Olsen to Speak at Tuned In Get your ticket now!

The Background

  • Oral arguments were heard today in the landmark college athlete compensation Supreme Court case, NCAA v. Alston.
  • While the case centers around “education-related benefits,” it’s really amateurism that’s on trial.
supreme_court
Design: Alex Brooks

In their list of demands, the basketball players who staged this month’s #NotNCAAProperty movement made a plea to the Supreme Court.

“[Do] not give the NCAA any power to deny us equal freedoms.”

Depending on the outcome in NCAA v. Alston, the high court could do just that. The ultimate ruling, which will come this summer, could give the NCAA permanent legal grounds to never pay players. 

The case reviews a circuit court ruling saying the NCAA violated antitrust law by limiting the amount of “non-cash education-related benefits” that schools can offer FBS football and basketball players.

Oral arguments were heard today — a few days before unpaid athletes continue basketball tournaments that make the NCAA billions.

The History

For decades, the NCAA has poured millions in legal fees into defending amateurism — paid for by the revenue basketball players generate.

The last time the Supreme Court heard an NCAA antitrust case was the infamous 1984 Board of Regents. The court’s opinion included the following pro-amateurism language that the NCAA still touts today.

“In order to preserve the character and quality of the ‘product,’ athletes must not be paid, must be required to attend class, and the like.”

About twenty years later, former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon sued the NCAA for not paying him for the use of his name, image, and likeness. 

In 2015, the Ninth Circuit heard an appeal. Its decision forced the NCAA to provide educational benefits up to the cost of attendance. The Supreme Court then refused to hear the case.

The O’Bannon decision came shortly after West Virginia football player Shawne Alston first filed his case — the one the Supreme Court is hearing today. 

O’Bannon gave Alston a narrow path to further challenge the NCAA’s limits on educational benefits.

The Stakeholders

It’s not just college athletes, the NCAA, and schools who care about the decision. Third-party companies prepping for name, image, and likeness legislation are also watching intently.

Today, even the acting solicitor general argued on the athletes’ side.

“It’s not something that happens every day,” Jaime Miettinen, athlete advocate and founder of Miettinen Law, told FOS of the executive branch’s intervention.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Arch Manning

NIL Go Says It Has Cleared $80 Million in NIL Deals So..

NIL collectives, however, say the majority of their deals are in limbo.

Bill Belichick’s UNC Debut Draws More Than 6M Viewers on ESPN

TCU-UNC was the fifth-most-watched college football game of Week 1.
Workers set up the stages for the “Fox Big Noon Kickoff” sports show live telecast before Saturday’s Iowa State and Iowa football game at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa.
exclusive

Big 12 Embraces Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports

The conference held a call with Portnoy to discuss coverage and collaboration.
Aug 30, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores linebacker Langston Patterson (10) looks over the defense against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers during the first half at FirstBank Stadium.

Latest Class Action Eligibility Lawsuit Challenges NCAA’s ‘Redshirt’ Rule

It’s the latest lawsuit challenging the NCAA’s core eligibility requirements.

Featured Today

Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrate their touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field.

TV Ratings Just Changed Again. The NFL Will Be the Big Winner

Nielsen’s new viewership system will have a big impact on sports.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.
August 30, 2025

The Most Expensive Roster Year in College Football History

The House settlement created revenue-sharing—and a big NIL loophole.
August 26, 2025

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
August 24, 2025

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.
The cast of ESPN College GameDay begins their show prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. The show is the final one for Lee Corso.

OSU Sophomore Wins $250K in McAfee ‘GameDay’ Kicking Contest

The former NFL punter started offering prize money for kicks in 2023.
Mike Gundy
September 2, 2025

OSU’s Gundy, Oregon’s Lanning Trade Barbs Over Alleged $30 Million Gap

Lanning ripped Gundy’s “excuse” and said “we spend to win.”
Aug 30, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) drops back to pass against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half at Ohio Stadium.
September 2, 2025

On This Year’s CFB Rosters, Even Backup QBs Make Six Figures

The going rate for backup quarterbacks is in the mid-six-figures.
Sponsored

Trailblazer Cal Calamia Is Racing for ‘Advocacy, Storytelling, and Performance’

The marathoner wants excellence—not just inclusion—to be the goal for non-binary athletes.
FSU
September 2, 2025

ACC Hits Florida State With First $50K Storming Fine Under New Rule

The ACC announced a new fine system in July.
September 2, 2025

Less Belichick Hype Could Mean Bad News for CFB Stakeholders

UNC had never begun a football season with so much hype.
September 1, 2025

Bill Belichick’s Star-Studded UNC Coaching Debut Turns Ugly

Michael Jordan highlighted a long list of celebrities in attendance.
August 30, 2025

5 of 10 Highest-Paid CFB Coaches Lose in Week 1

Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer was the biggest surprise of the Week 1 losers.