It's one the oldest and most debated arguments in sports: whether or not college athletes should be compensated.

Ed O'Bannon played basketball at UCLA from 1991-95. He was an excellent player helping the Bruins win the '95 Championship against Arkansas, and he was given the Most Valuable Player award of the tournament. O'Bannon didn't have nearly the success in the NBA as he did in college, and in 2009, he filed a lawsuit against the NCAA.

It began when he saw his former team and himself in a video game without his permission.

O'Bannon is expected to testify that college athletes should be financially compensated for their broadcast time as well as commercial use. EA Sports recently settled for a $40 million with the players. There are 19 other plaintiffs as well suing the NCAA for previous commercial use who include Hall of Famers Bill Russell and Oscar Robertson. Most of the lawsuits are aimed at television and video game contracts that athletes did not have a say in.

Many others believe that this will lead to universities paying their athletes for playing time. This remains heavily unlikely because of the amenities the athletes receive. If college athletes were to be financially compensated, they would have to surrender (free) room and board, transportation, food, equipment, tuition and other services. It would also bring much stricter education standards among "college athletes" in the classroom.

The NCAA has tried many times since 2009 to terminate O'Bannon's request but failed. It comes as a surprise to many that the NCAA didn't settle with former players like it did the EA Sports.

This could have a big impact on college sports moving forward. Not "pay for play" but personal privacy policy may be forever changed. Video games, billboards, commercials, jersey sales, etc. may no longer feature the best players. It may no longer feature any college players after this trial. On the flip side, it could mean that if athletes are going to be featured for commercial use, then they must be compensated for it.

The NCAA may have a good case for the judge however. The current rules say that athletes cannot receive more than a scholarship, books, room, board. It's going to be a tough case for both sides, and neither side has a clear edge. It is expected that both sides will write up their closing arguments three days after the trial begins.

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