Appeals court nixes plan to pay NCAA athletes

A federal appeals court struck down a plan to pay college football and basketball players in a ruling that NCAA leaders believe supports their contention that the athletes are students and not professionals.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed Wednesday that the NCAA's use of college athletes' names, images and likenesses in video games and TV broadcasts violated antitrust laws, but vacated a judge's decision that would have allowed schools to make deferred cash payments to athletes of up to $5,000 per year.

NCAA President Mark Emmert said: ''That was a very, very welcome decision from our point.''