In a landmark decision, a federal judge ruled Friday that the NCAA is in violation of the nation's antitrust laws by restricting the compensation that major college football and men's basketball athletes can receive for playing their sport.

U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken, in a 99-page decision that followed a contentious three-week trial in June, wrote, "The Court finds that the challenged NCAA rules unreasonably restrain trade in the market for certain educational and athletic opportunities offered by NCAA Division I schools."

Wilken rejected the NCAA's arguments in defense of its economic model, saying the "justifications that the NCAA offers do not justify this restraint and could be achieved through less restrictive means" while preserving college sports competition.

The case was brought about by Ed O'Bannon, the former UCLA men's basketball player.