The Alston v.
United States case was not about federal drug laws, but rather about the limits of the NCAA's ability to restrict compensation for college athletes.
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This case built upon the previous O'Bannon v.
NCAA decision, which found the NCAA was profiting off the names and likenesses of student-athletes.
The unanimous 9-0 Supreme Court ruling represented a significant defeat for the NCAA, which had long defended its "amateurism" rules limiting athlete compensation.
The Court's decision opened the door for colleges to provide education-related benefits to student-athletes, such as scholarships for graduate school or payments for academic tutoring.
However, the ruling did not allow colleges to provide unlimited cash or cash-equivalent payments to athletes, maintaining some limits on direct compensation.
Legal experts noted the Court's decision was narrow in scope, focusing on education-related benefits, and did not address the broader debate around paying college athletes.
The ruling was written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, who emphasized the Court was not questioning the NCAA's ability to maintain the concept of amateurism, just specific rules that violated antitrust law.
In a concurring opinion, Justice Brett Kavanaugh went further, suggesting the NCAA's entire compensation model may be illegal and that student-athletes should be able to receive unlimited pay.
The case was seen as part of a broader shift in attitudes towards compensating college athletes, with several states passing laws allowing athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness.
The NCAA had argued that removing its restrictions would lead to a "blurring of the line between college and professional sports," but the Court rejected this "parade of horribles" argument.
Legal experts noted the Court's decision could embolden further legal challenges to the NCAA's rules, potentially leading to more dramatic changes in the college sports landscape.
The case was significant in that it represented the first time the Supreme Court had taken up a case directly challenging the NCAA's business model in nearly 40 years.