A federal judge has dismissed an antitrust lawsuit filed by former Villanova University basketball player Kris Jenkins against the NCAA and six major athletic conferences. Jenkins, renowned for his game-winning shot in the 2016 NCAA championship, alleged that the NCAA’s previous restrictions on athletes’ ability to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL) unlawfully limited his earning potential during his collegiate career.
Jenkins’ lawsuit, initiated in April 2025, contended that the NCAA and conferences such as the Big East and Big Ten engaged in practices that violated antitrust laws by restricting NIL compensation for Division I student-athletes. He sought damages for the income he claimed to have lost due to these restrictions, which were in place before the NCAA’s policy change in July 2021 that began allowing athletes to monetize their NIL rights. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/082366d40885e407e59b040efe03238f?utm_source=openai))
The court’s decision to dismiss the case was based on the statute of limitations for antitrust claims, which is four years. Since Jenkins’ collegiate career concluded in 2017, the window to file such a lawsuit had expired. This ruling aligns with previous decisions in similar cases, such as the dismissal of Mario Chalmers’ antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA earlier this year. ([sportsbusinessjournal.com](https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2025/04/28/judge-dismisses-antitrust-claim-by-mario-chalmers-against-ncaa/?utm_source=openai))
Jenkins was among approximately 350 athletes who opted out of a proposed $2.8 billion antitrust settlement with the NCAA, choosing instead to pursue individual legal action. The settlement, known as the House v. NCAA settlement, aims to compensate athletes for the period during which NIL compensation was prohibited. ([inquirer.com](https://www.inquirer.com/college-sports/villanova/ncaa-house-settlement-kris-jenkins-lawsuit-villanova-basketball-20250411.html?utm_source=openai))
The dismissal of Jenkins’ lawsuit underscores the challenges former athletes face in seeking retroactive compensation for NIL restrictions. While the NCAA has faced increasing legal scrutiny over its policies, the statute of limitations remains a significant barrier for many seeking redress for past grievances.