Former UCLA player Ed O'Bannon (shown here in 1995) is lead
plaintiff in a case against the NCAA that argues college
athletes deserve a bigger portion of the association's revenue
stream. Associated Press    Win, lose or settle, the O'Bannon
case has the potential to deliver the most important legal
directive in the NCAA's century-old history. If it achieves
class-action status, it could determine whether the athletes who
loft touchdown passes and swish three-pointers for viewers'
enjoyment are entitled to a portion of the billions of dollars
derived in large part from those moments. The case is scheduled
to go to trial next summer.  The plaintiffs allege that the NCAA
violates U.S. antitrust law by limiting the compensation that
players can receive for the use of their name, image and
likeness. The NCAA asserts that the plaintiffs are aimed at
"destroying amateurism in college athletics," according to an
executive summary posted on the association's website. The case
centers on one question: What exactly is