NCAA Pay Plan for Athletes ‘Too Little, Too Late’ to Curb Suits

The National Collegiate Athletic Association’s proposal to directly compensate student-athletes could result in fairer pay for players but fails to blunt continued legal challenges, attorneys say.

The proposal, outlined in a letter by NCAA President Charlie Baker earlier this month, floats the concept of Division I member schools paying athletes, as the organization seeks to stem an onslaught of lawsuits alleging its rules violate antitrust laws and unfairly limit compensation.

Baker’s policy, while a major step for the organization, comes “too little, too late” given the current legal landscape, said Marc Edelman, antitrust professor at Baruch College’s Zicklin School of ...