Villanova legend Kris Jenkins sues the NCAA and some of its member conferences

On the morning of the Final Four and a day after the nine-year anniversary of his championship-winning shot, former Villanova forward Kris Jenkins filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and some of its member conferences.

Jenkins, whose three-point buzzer-beater lifted the Wildcats to the 2016 national title over North Carolina, seeks damages for the name, image, and likeness compensation he was unable to receive. The suit, filed in the Southern District of New York, also seeks a judgment to void NCAA rules that limit payments athletes can receive for their NIL rights and services.

Named in the suit are the NCAA and its major conferences: Atlantic Coast, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12, and Southeastern.

The NCAA and its members, the suit argues, “have committed violations of the federal antitrust laws and common law by engaging in an overarching conspiracy to: (a) fix the amount that student-athletes may be paid for the licensing, use, and sale of their names, images, and likenesses at zero; (b) foreclose student-athletes from the market for licensing, use, and sale of their names, images, and likenesses entirely;

“(c) fix the amount that student-athletes may be paid for their athletic services at no more than the value of a scholarship; and (d) limit the quantity of athletic scholarships available in the market for student-athletes’ labor services.

“In addition to violating the antitrust laws,” the suit continues, “Defendants have also unjustly enriched themselves and their for-profit business partners while causing extensive damage to the student-athletes.”

Jenkins wants the money he “would have received” if not for the NCAA and its conferences’ “unlawful restraints on pay-for-play compensation,” a share of television revenue and media broadcast uses of his name, image, and likeness, and money he may have received from other third-party opportunities.

Jenkins has opted out of the landmark House vs. NCAA settlement class. The case is nearing approval, though NCAA president Charlie Baker told reporters Saturday at the Final Four in San Antonio that he was not expecting an approval at Monday’s hearing.

» READ MORE: What was Kris Jenkins’ title-winning shot worth? We just found out.

The settlement appears to leave Jenkins out of any back pay anyway. The House settlement will give back pay to Power Five men’s and women’s basketball players, as well as football players, dating to 2016. The Big East is not included in that segment. If Jenkins’ suit is successful, elements of the House settlement, like salary-cap restrictions and limits on outside NIL collectives, could potentially be deemed invalid.

The 127-page filing mentions the boon that Jenkins’ buzzer-beater, nicknamed The Shot, was for everyone but him. It details Villanova’s financial windfall, its uptick in applications, and increased merchandise sales.

The school’s campus has dramatically changed since 2016, especially along Lancaster Avenue. The suit also takes umbrage with the continued use of Jenkins’ name, image, and likeness by the Big East and the NCAA.

Jenkins played at Villanova from 2013 to 2017. Unlike some of his teammates, post-college life has not brought him NBA fame and riches. His career took him to places like Sioux Falls, S.D., Yakima, Wash., and a small port city on Germany’s North Sea coast — all places a long way from Madison Square Garden, where the most famous Villanova players from that heyday now play.

A hip injury ended Jenkins’ playing career in 2020. He briefly rejoined the Villanova basketball program in a support staff role in 2020 and has been around the program at times since then. Jenkins, who now lives in Florida, began broadcasting games this season.

The Shot, in a lot of ways, has come to broadly define him. In 2021, Jenkins told The Athletic, laughing, “I’m just waiting on the NCAA to send me my money.

“Man, if I could have used name, image, and likeness, I’d not only have a lot of money in my bank account, I’d probably be living in a penthouse right about now. I would have really lived a bachelor life. I definitely deserved it. Hey NCAA, if you read this, I want it all.”

» READ MORE: Villanova officially turns the page to the Kevin Willard Era following semifinal exit in the College Basketball Crown

The suit begins with words from Jalen Brunson from a podcast episode in June.

It reads: “The only thing I think about truly when it comes to ... players getting paid or ... capitalizing off their name and likeness is Kris Jenkins ... that’s what I think about, truly. Like the amount that he could have made off just ... that shot ... what could have been for Kris, that’s what I think about when I think of ... NIL ... That whole moment could have been so impactful for him.”