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Judge Opens the Door to More Compensation for College Athletes

Isaac Brekken/Associated Press

A federal judge on Friday, in a closely watched case, opened the way for college football and basketball players to receive more compensation than they do now, but narrowly limited the benefits to expenses “related to education.”

The ruling was somewhat of a victory for the athletes but fell well short of their goal of eliminating the N.C.A.A.’s cap on their compensation, which the organization has argued is vital to maintaining a semblance of amateurism in college sports.

In the ruling in Federal District Court in Oakland, Calif., Judge Claudia Wilken determined that amateurism rules barring payment beyond scholarships and certain related costs of education violate antitrust law.