[ti:US Court Backs Payment to Student-Athletes in NCAA Case] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]The highest court in America ruled Monday [00:05.36]that the college sports organization NCAA [00:10.56]cannot limit education-related payments to its student-athletes. [00:17.88]The letters NCAA stand for National Collegiate Athletic Association. [00:26.80]The organization sets the rules for and oversees [00:32.52]college athletic competition in the United States. [00:38.12]The NCAA argued that its rules to limit the payments [00:45.12]were necessary to support the idea of "amateurism" in college sports. [00:53.60]However, in a 9-0 vote, the Supreme Court [01:00.00]agreed with a group of former student-athletes [01:04.12]that the NCAA rules cannot be enforced. [01:10.00]Under organization rules, students cannot be paid like professional players [01:16.40]to play sports like football or basketball in college. [01:21.92]The money given to athletes is limited [01:25.52]to the cost of attending their schools. [01:30.80]Last December, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case [01:36.12]brought by a group of former student-athletes. [01:41.20]Shawne Alston, a former football player [01:44.84]at West Virginia University, leads the group. [01:49.76]The student-athletes said the NCAA's rules [01:54.76]on education-related costs were unfair. [01:59.64]They argued that the rules violate federal antitrust law [02:04.84]that is designed to support competition. [02:09.40]The Supreme Court's ruling on Monday upheld a lower court ruling [02:15.20]barring the NCAA from enforcing their rules. [02:21.36]Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the court that the NCAA [02:26.88]sought "immunity from the normal operation of the antitrust laws." [02:34.00]He said permitting colleges and universities [02:38.00]to offer increased education-related payments [02:42.12]could support improved academic performance. [02:47.32]And, the opinion reads, it could provide student-athletes [02:51.68]with payment "more consistent [02:54.76]with the value they bring to their schools." [02:59.44]The ruling does not mean that student-athletes [03:02.92]will receive usual earnings like professional players. [03:08.08]It only means that colleges can pay student-athletes [03:12.72]for additional educational costs including tutoring expenses, [03:18.60]study in foreign countries, or internships. [03:23.84]As a result of the ruling, the NCAA itself cannot bar colleges [03:30.76]from raising their offers to basketball and football players [03:35.56]with additional education-related costs. [03:39.96]Before the court ruled, a lawyer for the former athletes said [03:45.60]if the student-athletes won the case, [03:48.68]"very many schools" would offer additional payment. [03:54.36]The NCAA had argued that a ruling for the student-athletes [04:00.32]could lessen the difference between college and professional sports. [04:07.20]However, changes are already happening [04:10.72]with payments for college athletes. [04:14.68]In 2019, California became the first state [04:20.28]to pass a law permitting college athletes to have agents [04:25.56]and to make money from endorsement deals. [04:30.36]The law protects athletes who sign such deals [04:34.24]from dismissal by their team. [04:37.96]The California law is set to take effect in 2023. [04:44.16]Other states, including Alabama, Florida, and Texas, [04:49.60]passed similar legislation that will go into effect this year. [04:56.08]The state laws have forced the NCAA to look at changing its rules [05:02.76]to permit college athletes to make money [05:06.16]from their "name, image and likeness." [05:10.96]The new NCAA rules, to be voted on this year, [05:15.92]mean athletes can receive money [05:18.72]for things like endorsements and personal appearances. [05:23.72]For top college athletes, these amounts could be much higher [05:30.08]than any education-related payments. [05:34.56]President Joe Biden's administration [05:37.40]expressed its support for the athletes. [05:40.56]And professional players associations [05:44.12]of the National Football League, [05:46.24]the National Basketball Association [05:49.00]and the Women's National Basketball Association [05:52.80]had all urged the court to side with the student-athletes. [05:58.68]I'm Caty Weaver. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM