ar Premier League action. After Manchester, the curtain will come down following the first trip to Rotterdam and then Finals Night at the O2. Sky Live: Premi

The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear the NCAAs appeal of the Ed OBannon case, leaving in place lower court rulings that found amateurism rules for big-time college sports violated federal antitrust law but prohibited payments to student-athletes.The justices on Monday rejected the appeal in a class-action lawsuit originally filed by OBannon, a former UCLA basketball star, and later joined by other athletes. The court also rejected OBannons appeal that called on the justices to reinstate a plan for schools to pay football and basketball players for the uses of their names, images and likenesses.It means the status quo has been preserved for a while longer, antitrust attorney Robert Boland said.The effect of the high court action is to leave the NCAA vulnerable to more legal challenges that are working their way through the courts, but it also gives the association time to make changes to blunt those possible threats.While we are disappointed with this decision not to review this case, we remain pleased that the 9th Circuit agreed with us that amateurism is an essential component of college sports and that NCAA members should not be forced by the courts to provide benefits untethered to education, including providing any payments beyond the full cost of attendance, NCAA chief legal officer Donald Remy said in a statement.Ramogi Huma, executive director of the National College Players Association, said he was encouraged by the Supreme Courts decision.The NCAA was found guilty of illegal price-fixing in two courts, and the Supreme Court is allowing those rulings to stand, Huma said. This makes clear that the NCAA is not above the law and that college athletes deserve equal protection under the law.In 2014, a U.S. district judge decided that the NCAAs use of names, images and likenesses of college athletes without compensation violated antitrust law. Judge Claudia Wilken ruled schools could -- but were not required to -- pay football and mens basketball players up to $5,000 per year. The money would go into a trust and be available to the athletes after leaving college. Wilken also ruled schools could increase the value of the athletic scholarship to meet the federal cost of attendance figure for each institution.The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year overturned Wilkens ruling on the payments of $5,000 but upheld the antitrust violation.While we would have liked the Supreme Courts review, we remain pleased with our trial victory and the 9th Circuits decision upholding the finding that the NCAA violated the antitrust laws and affirming a permanent injunction to remedy that violation, which enables NCAA member schools to offer college athletes significant additional funds toward the cost of attendance, Michael Hausfeld, lead attorney in the OBannon case, said in a statement.The NCAA already has addressed one aspect of Wilkens ruling by increasing the amount of aid schools may provide athletes. In 2015, the NCAA passed legislation allowing schools to increase the value of an athletic scholarship to include each institutions federally regulated cost-of-attendance figures. The cost of attendance includes estimated values for things such as travel between campus and home, clothing and food.Two cases currently in lower courts present potential threats to the NCAAs amateurism model and its desire to restrict compensation to athletes in ways that would be more akin to an employer-employee relationship.A case led by antitrust lawyer Jeffrey Kessler and originally filed by former Clemson football player Martin Jenkins and another claim first filed by former West Virginia player Shawne Alston but now consolidated with other cases challenge the NCAAs right to cap compensation for athletes at the value of a scholarship.I believe Jenkins v. NCAA will be successful in securing important resources for players, Huma said.The Alston case also seeks damages for athletes who played college sports before the scholarship was increased to include cost of attendance.These other cases, though, are nowhere near a resolution, and time is on the NCAAs side.To some degree you could say thats a strategy for the NCAA and in the interests that are in charge of college sports, said Boland, who is director of the masters of sports administration program at Ohio University. That they maintain the status quo despite litigation is both a practical reality but also an opportunity for them to begin to reform in a way thats effective.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. Custom Nellie Fox Jersey . Dusautoir, the former World Player of the Year, sustained a torn bicep playing for Toulouse in the Heineken Cup on Saturday. The flanker, who has played 65 times for France, is expected to be out for up to four months. 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He finished a disappointing campaign just 14-13 with a career-worst 4.Wayne Mardle is back with his crystal ball to cast his eye over a crucial night of Premier League Darts in Manchester and reveal his predictions. A huge night of action is in store on the penultimate leg of this years regular Premier League action. After Manchester, the curtain will come down following the first trip to Rotterdam and then Finals Night at the O2. Sky Live: Premier League Darts We preview the action in Manchester on Thursday night Michael van Gerwen claimed top spot last week and, along with a rejuvenated Phil Taylor, both men have secured a place in the top four. While their eyes are on the £25,000 bonus for finishing top, four other men have their eyes on a London spot. Robert Thornton and Raymond van Barneveld are eliminated and Gary Anderson is all but there, leaving Adrian Lewis, James Wade and Peter Wright to duke it out and Wayne believes this weeks fixtures will prove crucial......James Wade v Peter Wright James Wade is tipped to come out on top in a crucial clash with Peter Wright (Pic: Michael Cooper) I want to know why James Wade is the outsider, I dont get it. If you were to say to any darts fan, Who would you make the favourite out of James Wade and Peter Wright? they would go, Im not sure, maybe James Wade.James is more than likely to win this game The reason being its really nip and tuck now and Peter Wright had a great week last week but he does seem to lose big matches. I think this is another big match that he loses. Darts Leicester story...almost When a 1,000-1 outsider almost did the impossible Contrary to that when it gets to the real nitty gritty, James Wade doesnt fail very often.I am going for James Wade on a price-based punt in a narrow win - Peter will have one dart at 36 off 116 and James will take out 94. (Sky Bet odds: James Wade to win 2/1)Gary Anderson v Robert Thornton Gary Anderson needs just a point to secure a place at the O2 later this month It wont be an easy game for Gary but I think he will relax to a point because he has almost qualified.Robert is so in and out. You can back for him with any kind of confidence whatsoever. He has had a really tough campaign. He did well nott to be eliminated, he got the draw of Michael van Gerwen.ddddddddddddI think Gary Anderson wins this at a canter, maybe 7-3. (Sky Bet odds: Gary Anderson to win 7-3 is 9/2)Michael van Gerwen v Raymond van Barneveld MIchael Van Gerwen is determined to keep hold of top spot When will the bookies learn. 7-1, 7-1! It is ridiculous. Dont get me wrong, I wont be having a penny on van Barneveld this time.Van Gerwen is playing to a standard that I am not sure Barney can cope with, Im really not.For Barney to win, he would have to play like the World Championship [Barney won 4-3 in Decembers World Championship quarter-final], everything would have to be perfect. Van Gerwen would have to leave doubles and he would have to take out 135, then hed have to take out 121. Premier League Night 13 A look back at the talking points from events in Birmingham He wont outscore Michael, and now he cant qualify I dont see Barney giving any resistanceI think van Gerwen wins pretty simply purely because I dont think this is a game that Barney needs to win. (Sky Bet odds: Michael van Gerwen to win 7-3 is 9/2)Adrian Lewis v Phil Taylor Phil Taylor takes on Adrian Lewis in Manchester on Thursday night (Pic: Lawrence Lustig) Its a big night for Adrian. He needs to avoid defeat. He has always said that he lacks the urgency, he is sometimes too patient in the Premier League.He has had a good campaign and he is playing well. He did a real good job on Robert Thornton last week. He looked superb for the best part of six or seven legs.Phil is playing a lot better than Robert Thornton and that is the problem for Adrian.I see it being close and I think maybe it has come at a good time for Adrian. Phil is not at the top of the league and there is now a bit of pressure on Phil to get there.I just think Phil has that little bit too much for Adrian, as usual every week, Im going for a last leg thriller but Phil Taylor to win. (Sky Bet odds: Phil Taylor to win 7-4 is 13/2)You can follow all the action on Thursday with our live blog here on www.skysports.com/darts and on Sky Sports 1 from 7pm. Or watch for £6.99 without a contract, on NOW TV. Also See: Fixtures/Results Prem Table Sky Live: Premier League Darts Darts betting ' ' '