NCAA asks US appeals court to block pay for student-athletes

By MARYCLAIRE DALE
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The NCAA is asking a federal appeals court to reject a legal effort to make colleges pay Division I athletes an hourly wage. Lawyers for the students say that weekly, they spend 30 hours or more on their sport, and often need money for expenses even if they are on scholarship. The NCAA says the idea would cause chaos, and leave student-athletes with a tax bill for their scholarships. Critics also fear it could lead schools to cut sports that don’t generate revenue, while sending more resources to profitable football and basketball programs. The three-judge panel in Philadelphia did not say when it would rule.