Why couldn't bakke as a white be required to yield to disadvanteged minorities in the admissions process?

Bakke, a white applicant, argued that affirmative action policies at the University of California, Davis, which set aside slots for disadvantaged minorities, discriminated against him based on his race. The Supreme Court ruled in 1978 that while affirmative action is permissible, rigid racial quotas are unconstitutional. The court emphasized that all applicants should be evaluated on individual merit rather than being subject to predetermined racial criteria, thus affirming that Bakke should not be denied admission solely based on his race.