Sports law: Trial could turn world upside down for NCAA
By Todd Jones The Columbus Dispatch • Monday June 9, 2014 5:22 AM

"Forget for a moment what is at stake when Ed O’Bannon’s antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA finally goes to trial today. True, what is essentially on trial is the entire economic model of a college sports system that has been sustained since the late 1800s by the concept that student-athletes are amateurs. Beyond eve-of-destruction forecasts, however, lies the simple but historic fact that college players and power brokers will be on equal ground when they meet today in a federal courtroom in Oakland, Calif.

..."Vaccaro, 74, has advised O’Bannon since the former UCLA basketball player sued the NCAA, the Collegiate Licensing Co. and Electronic Arts in July 2009 over the commercial use of former Division I football and men’s basketball players’ names, images and likenesses. Since then, the case has become a class-action suit with only the NCAA left as defendant after Electronic Arts and CLC agreed to a $40 million settlement with the plaintiffs last month.:...

..."The NCAA is expected to argue that rules prohibiting college athletes from being paid are a necessary part of attracting fans because that system offers a desired alternative to professional sports, and that amateurism also ensures competitive balance.

An O’Bannon victory could lead to Division I football and men’s basketball players signing endorsement deals, being represented by agents, and getting paid by boosters. All are currently prohibited by NCAA rules.
“It has potentially broad implications, if the NCAA can’t preclude third parties from entering into these sorts of arrangements with college athletes,” said Mitten, a Marquette law professor. “Say the local car dealership or grocery dealer goes to Ohio State’s quarterback and says, ‘OK, we’ll pay you $10,000 to appear in commercials or to make promotional appearances."...


Full article:

http://buckeyextra.dispatch.com/cont...-for-ncaa.html