A former West Virginia football player sued the NCAA and five major conferences Wednesday, saying they have violated antitrust laws by agreeing to cap the value of an athletic scholarship at less than the actual cost of attending school.

Attorneys Steve Berman and Bruce Simon, who have been involved in cases challenging the NCAA’s ability to sell college athletes’ likeness to video-game makers, filed the proposed class-action lawsuit in federal court in San Francisco.

The NCAA did not have an immediate comment, spokeswoman Stacey Osburn said.

Shawne Alston, a running back for West Virginia from 2009-12, is the only named plaintiff. The lawsuit also seeks to represent all scholarship football players who have played since February 2010 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 or Southeastern Conference.

“Players are essentially working full-time football jobs and going to school,” the lawsuit said. “The NCAA and Power Conference Defendants have studied and acknowledged that a so-called `full ride’ scholarship does not cover the full cost of attending school.

“Athletes are often a few thousand dollars short for the typical expenses of a student. These costs include money for gas, food, and other necessities. While players scrimp, coaches and universities most certainly do not. The average salary for major college football coaches is over $2 million, with some coaches earning over $7 million.”

Alston had to take out a $5,500 loan to cover the difference between his scholarship and actual costs of attendance, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit asks that the NCAA and the five conferences discontinue the practice of not including the actual cost of attendance in scholarships. It also asks for members of the class to receive damages in the amount of the difference between the value of their scholarships and their actual costs of attendance.