The House v. NCAA settlement is “at the crux of why” former Villanova F Kris Jenkins is taking legal action against the NCAA and six major conferences, as the settlement puts him in an “‘additional sports class’ that would receive crumbs, compared to football players and men’s and women’s basketball players from the power schools,” according to Jeff Neiburg of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. The settlement left the Big East out of the lion’s share of back payments dating to 2016. Jenkins, whose career at Villanova ended in 2017, is “among a few hundred athletes” who have opted out of the House settlement, which “gives him and others the right to bring this type of lawsuit.” Jenkins’ suit also is a reminder that Judge Claudia Wilken’s “expected approval” of the House case “is not the be-all and end-all” when it comes to the future of college athletics. There will be lawsuits like the one Jenkins filed “that take umbrage with the exact things House will certify,” like salary cap restrictions, NIL collective and booster deals, and roster limits. If successful, his suit will provide Jenkins “more than just money.” It also “seeks a judgment to void NCAA rules that limit payments athletes can receive for their NIL rights and services, directly challenging the House settlement terms” (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 4/11).
House Settlement at the ‘crux’ of Kris Jenkins’ legal action
