NCAA Wins Final Approval of $2.8 Billion Player-Pay Deal (2)

The NCAA and its power conferences got final approval Friday of a nearly $2.8 billion antitrust deal allowing colleges to pay student-athletes directly for the first time, a milestone in yearslong litigation also designed to quell future suits over name, image, and likeness.

Judge Claudia Wilken of the US District Court for the Northern District of California said the deal as a whole was adequate and that pro-competitiveness justifications outweighed any downsides.

She approved the deal after sparring with the NCAA and athlete plaintiffs over a provision that limited roster spots on college teams in exchange for more athlete scholarships. ...