Supreme Court case could change the nature of college sports

A Supreme Court case being argued this week amid March Madness could erode the difference between elite college athletes and professional sports stars.

If the former college athletes who brought the case win, colleges could end up competing for talented student athletes by offering over-the-top education benefits worth tens of thousands of dollars. And that could change the nature of college sports.

At least that’s the fear of the NCAA. But the former athletes who sued say most college athletes will never play professional sports and that the NCAA’s rules capping education benefits deprive them of the ability to be rewarded for their athletic talents and hard work. They say the NCAA’s rules are not just unfair but illegal, and they want schools to be able to offer any education benefits they see fit.

“This is letting the schools provide encouragement to be better students and better educated ... in return for what amounts to full-time jobs for the school. What could possibly be wrong with that?” said lawyer Jeffrey L. Kessler in an interview ahead of arguments in the case, which are scheduled for today.

The former players who brought the case have so far won every round. Lower courts agreed that NCAA rules capping the education-related benefits schools can offer Division I men’s and women’s basketball players and football players violate a federal antitrust law. The narrow ruling still keeps schools from directly paying athletes, but the NCAA says it is a step in that direction.

NO INJURIES AS JAZZ PLANE HITS BIRDS

A Utah Jazz charter flight headed to Memphis had to return to Salt Lake City after the plane struck a flock of birds on takeoff.

No injuries were reported. The Jazz confirmed the Delta charter for tonight’s game returned to Salt Lake City International airport shortly after takeoff.

Following the incident, several players expressed gratitude for the safe landing. Donovan Mitchell posted a praying hands emoji on Twitter, while Rudy Gobert wrote “It’s a beautiful day!”

FORDHAM TABS NOVA ASSISTANT

Fordham hired longtime Villanova assistant Kyle Neptune on Tuesday to take over a men’s basketball program that has had only two winning seasons since joining the Atlantic 10 Conference in 1995.

The 36-year-old Neptune grew up in Brooklyn before attending Lehigh, where he played for four years and was a team captain as a senior.