The game isn’t over for the NCAA, but a SCOTUS ruling may drastically alter the landscape of college sports. 

• SCOTUS handed down a landmark 9-0 decision Monday: The justices ruled the NCAA’s longtime justification for amateurism -- as something necessary to distinguish its product -- was no longer sufficient. Amateurism has been a key part of the NCAA for more than 100 years, and the NCAA has enjoyed what was basically a de facto ability to cap wages in a way that would normally be an antitrust violation.

• Athletes might cash in right away, to an extent: Former athletic director and lawyer Oliver Luck said the ruling gives schools the opportunity to use new enticements to recruit athletes, so long as the enticements are tied to education (for instance, a promise to pay for grad school).  

Narrow but potentially transformative

According to legal experts, the actual decision will lead to few immediate changes for the NCAA, but major changes could be on the horizon. 

The Verdict

Get used to seeing the NCAA and the legal world in headlines. Name, image and likeness laws are also going into effect this summer.