In a 104-page judicial ruling poised to reshape big-time college sports, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken has declared that the NCAA and its 11 major conferences are violating antitrust law by capping the value of athletic scholarships. Friday's ruling follows a 10-day bench trial that took place last September and featured former West Virginia running back Shawne Alston and former Cal center Justine Hartman leading a class action on behalf of former men’s and women’s college players.
Judge Wilken has effectively ordered the NCAA to revise its grant-in-aid rules so that they both permit member schools to compete more fully and enable conferences to establish their own policies for scholarships.