(Reuters) - NCAA compensation rules for college athletes violate antitrust law, a U.S. appeals court ruled in a case brought by athletes seeking a slice of the billions of dollars universities reap from football and basketball.
The case came amid mounting public pressure for colleges to give athletes better benefits. A California federal judge last year had said the NCAA should allow schools to pay athletes up to $5,000 per year in compensation.
Critics say the NCAA's scholarship policy short-changes athletes who risk injury and devote many hours to practice sessions, travel and competition. The majority of college athletes do not go on to play professionally.