Following a federal appellate ruling that college athletes can sue claiming they are owed wages, employment attorneys say lower courts will face a host of difficult legal questions as litigation over player compensation likely grows.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled for the first time on July 11 that Division I student athletes can be employees under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and entitled to minimum wage if they perform services for a university, under the university’s control and in return for implied compensation or benefits.