Three college athletes, Duke football player Dewayne Carter, Stanford soccer player Nya Harrison, and TCU basketball player Sedona Prince, have filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and its five most powerful conferences, claiming that current rules prohibiting schools from paying their athletes violate antitrust law. The 70-page complaint was filed in the Northern District of California federal court, the same venue where the NCAA has previously lost antitrust claims.

The athletes' attorneys have requested an injunction to prevent the NCAA from enforcing the "pay for play" compensation rules and are seeking damages for past payments that the athletes would have received if the current rules were not in place. Encouraging fair compensation, Carter stated, "It's time for the NCAA to recognize that the rules prohibiting athletes from sharing in the massive revenues we help to generate are harming all college athletes. I'm proud to stand up for all college athletes to correct that injustice."

The lawsuit is being represented by attorneys Jeffrey Kessler and Steve Berman, who successfully sued the NCAA in the Alston case, leading to the removal of restrictions on academic-related payments. Additionally, Kessler and Berman recently obtained class status in the House v. NCAA case, which aims to seek billions of dollars in damages for former athletes who were affected by old rules restricting endorsement deals.

This legal action comes just days after NCAA president Charlie Baker announced a new proposal allowing schools to sign NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals directly with athletes and share significant amounts of money through an "enhanced educational trust fund." However, Baker's proposal does not include direct payment to athletes for their athletic performance. Baker has voiced the need for a federal law to prevent athletes from filing antitrust lawsuits, which he believes would be an essential aspect of implementing his broader vision for the future of college sports.

The plaintiffs argue in their lawsuit that Baker's proposal indicates that wealthier schools have the financial capacity to pay their athletes. The NCAA has previously argued in antitrust cases that direct payments to players would have catastrophic consequences for college sports, which they consider to be primarily an academic institution.

The lawsuit raises questions about the compatibility of paying college athletes with the business aspect of college sports. It suggests that the restrictions sought by the NCAA, such as limiting payments to "educational" benefits or trust funds, cannot be justified in the current environment.

At the time of this report, the NCAA has not provided any comment regarding the lawsuit. The outcome of the lawsuit could have significant implications for the future of college athletics and the debate surrounding fair compensation for student-athletes.