The US Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday in NCAA v. Alston that student athletes can receive education-related compensation.

The plaintiffs, current and former student athletes, alleged that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and some of its member institutions violated the Sherman Act, which requires courts to enforce a policy of competition so as to best allocate the nation’s resources. The plaintiffs argued that the NCAA violated the Sherman Act when it restricted the compensation that colleges and universities may offer their student athletes.

The district court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and enjoined the NCAA from “limiting education-related compensation or benefits that conferences and schools may provide to student athletes playing Division I football and basketball.” After the Ninth Circuit upheld the lower court’s decision, the NCAA asked the Supreme Court to reverse the decision, contending that the lower courts erred in their analysis.

The Supreme Court’s opinion, delivered by Justice Neil Gorsuch, held that the district court’s injunction was consistent with established antitrust principles. In a concurring opinion, Justice Brett Kavanaugh said that although the NCAA maintains important traditions, “those traditions alone cannot justify the NCAA’s decision to build a massive money-raising enterprise on the backs of student athletes who are not fairly compensated. … The NCAA is not above the law.”

In a statement, NCAA President Mark Emmert said that “the NCAA remains committed to supporting NIL benefits for student-athletes. Additionally, we remain committed to working with Congress to chart a path forward, which is a point the Supreme Court expressly stated in its ruling.”