MIAMI – The US Supreme Court puts the NCAA on notice about changing its rules on how college athletes should be compensated.

In a unanimous ruling, it sides with the athletes, saying that NCAA is violating anti-trust laws by limiting their education-related benefits.

This would cover student-athletes being reimbursed for things like computers, science equipment, and even musical instruments.

The NCAA argued that it had the right to keep tight lids on these rules, to protect the amateur nature of college sports. The justices disagreed.

While this ruling does not directly deal with whether or not college athletes should be paid to play, justice Brett Cavanaugh seemed to open the door for further debate on that issue, writing that “It is highly questionable whether the NCAA and its member colleges can justify not paying student-athletes a fair share of the revenues on the circular theory that the defining characteristic of college sports is that the colleges do not pay student-athletes.”

Several states, including Florida, have passed laws allowing college athletes to be paid for their image and likeness.

The NCAA says it is working with Congress to figure out how best to make that work.