A ruling made by a district court judge in San Francisco could open up N.C.A.A. licensing contracts to public scrutiny, The New York Times reported.


In a ruling Monday, a judged denied the N.C.A.A.s motion to dismiss a class-action anti-trust lawsuit headed by the former U.C.L.A. basketball star N.C.A.A. Ed OBannon. The lawsuit claims that former athletes should be compensated for the use of their images and likenesses in television advertisements, video games and on apparel, The Times reports.


The N.C.A.A. said it remains confident it will ultimately prevail in the case, which the plaintiffs counsel said would put the N.C.A.A.s amateur status on trial. 

 
OBannon said he brought the lawsuit after he kept seeing his image used in N.C.A.A. tournament promotions. OBannon led U.C.L.A. to the 1995 national title.