Like many critics of the NCAA, the judge who decided the highly publicized O'Bannon v. NCAA case criticized the lack of education provided to the student-athletes. She quotes in her opinion the lead plaintiff, Ed O'Bannon, a former star basketball player at UCLA, testifying that he felt like "an athlete masquerading as a student." This statement, however, undermines the key market definition that the judge used in this case, what she called the "College Education Market." If the members of the NCAA are not providing an education to athletes, then they are no different from minor leagues like the National Basketball Association's Development League. If that is the case, the market definition on which the judge's decision is based falls apart, making reversal of the decision highly likely.
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