SAN ANTONIO -- With four seconds on the clock, the entire Alamodome stood still. Both Florida and Houston paused.

Cougars guard Emanuel Sharp had gone up to shoot a potential winning 3 with 4.9 seconds left but was forced to adjust when Walter Clayton Jr. came flying out to contest. Sharp dropped the ball with 4.2 seconds left, hoping a teammate would pick it up and bail him out. But nobody moved, not a Houston player nor a Florida player.

Gators forward Alex Condon finally dove on the ball with 2.0 seconds left, securing it and tossing it toward Clayton. The buzzer sounded, Clayton slammed the ball on the ground, and Houston coach Kelvin Sampson looked on in stunned silence.

The Florida Gators were national champions, erasing a 12-point second-half deficit before holding on for a 65-63 win over Houston.

"I was kind of just thinking about what to do, if I should go for it and leave my man," Condon told ESPN. "But once he kind of backed off and tried to guard off Walt, I realized he is not going to pick up the ball. So I dived as hard as I could and got the ball. It was great."

It was a fitting ending for a game that flipped narratives. Monday's title game was billed as a matchup between two of the most dominant units in the sport this season: Florida's offense versus Houston's defense. But it was the Gators' defense that made the difference down the stretch.

Houston had just four turnovers in the first 36:35 of Monday's game but gave it away five times in the final 3:24 -- including three times in the final minute. During one stretch in the second half, Florida got stops on nine straight Houston possessions.

"We've been a top-10 defense all year also. We've been able to stand up against really good offensive teams and find a way to get stops," Florida coach Todd Golden said. "We held them scoreless the last 2:20. Walter, great closeout, and Condo, great hustle play to win the game. That's what made this team special all year, that we can win different ways, and we showed that again tonight."

Since Sampson took over at Houston, the Cougars' identity has been toughness, physicality and bullying teams into submission at the defensive end and on the offensive glass. On Monday, the team imposing its will -- especially in the second half -- was Florida. The Gators had fewer offensive rebounds than Houston but more second-chance points. They forced more turnovers after halftime than the Cougars.

And after Houston was forced to go with a four-guard lineup because of foul trouble, Florida dictated the terms of the game.

"We were starting to wear them down," Florida associate head coach Carlin Hartman told ESPN. "That is very unusual for a Kelvin Sampson-like team because they're the ones that normally do the wearing down and the punking and so forth. But the fact that we have four really good bigs that can play different styles, but also be very physical and be very disruptive, I think it just wore those guys down. And I looked at them, and with about five minutes to go, I was like, they're wearing down. They're tired.

"It's winning time. Let's do what we do."

For the third straight game, Florida had to overcome a significant second-half deficit. In the Elite Eight, Texas Tech led by as many as 10 in the second half and nine with three minutes to go. In the Final Four, Auburn had a nine-point lead early in the second half. And on Monday, Houston led by 12 in the second half -- giving the Cougars a 93.9% chance to win, according to ESPN Analytics -- before the Gators came back. It's tied for the third-largest deficit overcome to win a national championship game.

"You have to have the mental toughness to be able to withstand a little adversity," Golden said. "Our guys knew that it wasn't going to be easy. Didn't panic when it got tough. As Will [Richard] talked about, they did a great job of never getting too high, never getting too low. When we went down 12 in the second half, we stayed the course. We didn't point fingers, didn't start to try to make hero plays, gambling defensively. We got rewarded because of that toughness that we displayed."

"Our back is against the wall," Alijah Martin told ESPN. "But we enjoy it. Every time our backs are against the wall, we respond as champions, as professionals. And it showed up on the biggest stage. And we're national champs."

There is a case to be made that Florida didn't play a complete game in the NCAA tournament after it beat Norfolk State in the first round. And it's a testament to the Gators' resilience that they were able to beat the nation's best defense without getting another incredible performance from All-America guard Clayton.

The leadup to Monday's title game centered almost entirely around Clayton, who was on a run not seen since Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier carried UConn to a pair of titles in the early 2010s.

It was evident immediately that Houston's scouting report did, too.

After scoring a combined 64 points in his previous two games, Clayton didn't score his first point against the Cougars until the 14:57 mark of the second half. He didn't make his first field goal until there was 7:54 left in the game. Houston made life miserable for Clayton, aggressively hard-hedging on ball screens, not allowing him to get in a rhythm going left, which is where he's at his most effective. But his frustration never showed, his demeanor never changed.

Clayton took what Houston's defense did give him, racking up seven assists before he scored his first point. During a second half that quickly devolved into a game of whistles, an endless parade of players going to the free throw line, the star guard came to life. He had two three-point plays in less than a minute, then hit a huge 3-pointer with 3:14 left to tie the game at 60. He also made multiple defensive plays, getting a steal that led to points when Florida trailed by 10 and then guarding Sharp late in the game, forcing him into the game-sealing turnover.

He finished with 11 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists, winning the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player award.

"He's put together the greatest individual campaign in the history of Florida basketball, and it's a campaign for the record books," said Jonathan Safir, Florida's director of basketball strategy and analytics. "He did it with a ridiculous display of shotmaking, charisma, and the best part of it all is the last possession of the game. He did it with defense. It's really a testament to him, his work ethic, his character, and he deserves to have his jersey retired in the O'Connell Center."

Monday marked Florida's third national championship since 2006 and made the 39-year-old Golden the youngest head coach to win a title since Jim Valvano guided NC State to a championship in 1983.

After the final buzzer and the cutting down of the nets, Golden was one of the first Florida coaches back at the locker room. With a net draped around his neck, he stood outside waiting for everyone else to join him. He high-fived and hugged every player and staff member before they went in the locker room to the sounds of Chief Keef's "Faneto" and 50 Cent's "Many Men."

Golden built a team this season predicated on offense, a group that could push the ball with pace and shoot plenty of 3-pointers. But on Monday, it was everything else that allowed them to win the title.

"I do think what separates us and has separated us all season long is our team talent, how our guys have played together and for each other all year," he said. "Because of that, we can call each other national champions for the rest of our lives."

SAN ANTONIO -- When Walter Clayton Jr. decided to withdraw from the NBA draft last year, he posted his announcement with a simple message on Instagram: "1 more."

In 2023-24, his first season with the Florida Gators, the team finished 24-12. The Gators had a few big wins -- notably over then-No. 10 Kentucky in January and in the SEC tournament, where they reached the championship game -- but their season ended with a first-round upset loss to 10-seed Colorado in the NCAA tournament.

Clayton had unfinished business. And when he showed up for his junior season at Florida, something was different.

As he entered the lobby of a Birmingham, Alabama, hotel for SEC media day, he looked to have packed on more muscle during an arduous offseason. He'd also chopped off his braids, a new style for the star who also had a new role and a new position.

But Clayton's biggest change was not visible that day, though it was there.

"We took a huge step this summer, bettering our games," Clayton said then. "Everybody has been in the gym. I think the team is a lot more focused now. I think it's going to be a great year."

And it was, perhaps greater than anything Clayton -- the 2025 NCAA tournament's Most Outstanding Player -- and the Gators could have imagined at the time.

But it didn't come easy.

For the first 25 minutes and three seconds of Florida's 65-63 championship victory over Houston, Clayton didn't score a single point. It was only his third scoreless half of the season, as the Cougars' game plan clearly aimed to stall him.

"Our goal was twofold: One, we didn't want to give him any fast-break layups," Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson said after the game. "He's really good at getting the ball out and getting down the court before the other team gets their defense set. So we took that away. And we did not want to give up any 3s going left, and we were awesome with that except once, and it shows you how good he is. The one time he got one, he made it."

Even against that pressure, Clayton -- who finished 3-for-10 and scored all of his 11 points after halftime -- whipped passes around the court to open teammates for key assists in the first half until his shots began to fall late in the game.

"For the first five or six minutes, the first eight minutes of the second half, they still made life really hard on [Clayton]," Florida head coach Todd Golden said. "When he came out, I thought [Denzel Aberdeen] stepped up, gave us great minutes, gave [Clayton] some rest so we could finish."

Amid the adversity, Monday night's title game also highlighted the leader Clayton became to this team over the past five months. Because even when he was cold, he was also selfless. His teammates never doubted him. And he delivered for them when his defense on Emanuel Sharp in the closing seconds led to a turnover that sealed the win.

"I told him, 'Keep being you. Keep being aggressive. We trust you, and we're going to figure it out,'" Alijah Martin said about Clayton's scoring drought. "And that's what we did."

Florida's road to its third national championship and its first in 18 years started back in May, when Clayton withdrew from the NBA draft and changed the trajectory of the Gators' 2024-25 season. That choice remains the most significant domino that led this team to the title it won Monday night in San Antonio.

This is the story of Florida's run to the national championship, from the beginning all the way through the season's conclusion.

CLAYTON ALWAYS HAD big basketball dreams.

Even as SEC schools like Florida and Georgia tried to attract him to their campuses with football scholarships, he wouldn't relent. He quit football as a sophomore because he so badly wanted to be a basketball star, but the pandemic had robbed him of a chance to play on the summer circuit and earn high-major offers. At Iona, however, Rick Pitino's guidance helped Clayton win MAAC Player of the Year in 2023 before he darted into the transfer portal and back home to play at Florida. He was an All-SEC second-team selection last season with real NBA aspirations, but he ultimately decided his dreams needed more time to cook in Gainesville, so he withdrew from the draft.

His decision to return served his ambitions on a few levels. Clayton wanted more time with his 1-year-old daughter, Leilani, who lives near Gainesville. But he also came back to improve his game and raise his draft stock.

"I think for him, going to get NBA workouts last spring and summer, I think it was really, really big for him," Florida coach Todd Golden said. "To be able to get some good feedback from six or seven NBA teams -- it really motivated him."

To achieve his NBA dreams, however, Clayton also knew he'd need more opportunities to prove he could be a playmaker at the next level. Golden had a solution: He moved Clayton to point guard.

"Watching him play pickup, pushing the ball in transition, he showed to us and proved to us that he could do that, become the primary ball handler and lead the team," Golden said. "I think he's done an incredible job of getting himself in great shape. He works on his game a ton. Having someone that's such an elite threat to score with the ball in his hands at all times obviously makes everybody else so dangerous as well."

Clayton's renewed motivation upon his return inspired his teammates, as well. The Gators had visions of a bright future as soon as the offseason, after workouts with Clayton at his new position and the seamless integration of Florida Atlantic star Alijah Martin. They knew they had a chance to be good. And they were determined to do everything they could to get better.

To create a more unified group, Victor Lopez, the team's strength and conditioning coach, turned to his military roots. Lopez, a former member of the United States Marines who served in Iraq, met with the leaders who ran the Marines ROTC office on campus and asked them to put the Gators through military-style workouts.

At 6 a.m. last summer in the dew-soaked grass of Gainesville, the Gators did bear crawls, carried weights across fields, flipped tires and completed situps with large logs sitting on their chests.

"It was pretty simple: It was to see if guys would break under stress," Lopez said.

But Lopez had other goals. He purposely paired some of the toughest players on his team with players who had not yet developed a similar resilience. The Gators left those summer drills with a new feeling: They also knew they'd never quit.

"It was hard," Rueben Chinyelu said. "But it's just something that kept us going. We were having fun while doing it, but we were also competing. We learned who wanted to compete. Who has that competitive spirit, who wants to give up, who doesn't want to give up, who wants to take care of things even when it's difficult ... Just being able to do that helped us learn more about each other and know what we can do."

THOUGH THE PLAYERS were confident, outside the program, there were more questions than answers about Florida entering the season.

"A lot of questions were asked last summer and this fall if we would have enough ballhandling on this team, enough playmaking," Golden said.

As a result of those doubts, the Gators were picked to finish sixth in the SEC's preseason poll, behind Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas A&M. But their fast start to the season suggested they might be a contender in 2024-25.

Although the Gators didn't play a tough nonconference schedule (ranked 238th in the country, according to KenPom), they were dominant -- and undefeated -- in November and December. Entering a Dec. 17 matchup against North Carolina in the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte, the Gators had defeated their first 10 opponents of the season by an average of 21.1 points per game. But that slate had also featured seven sub-100 KenPom opponents. North Carolina, which had struggled against one of the tougher nonconference slates in the country, represented Florida's toughest test of the season to date.

That night, the Spectrum Center sounded like the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, with thousands of Tar Heels fans in the building. The Gators went up early, but North Carolina bounced back: With 7:50 to go, the Tar Heels took a two-point lead on Seth Trimble's three-point play.

The Gators didn't panic -- they regained control of the game and held on to win 90-84 after a pair of three-point plays by Clayton in the final minutes.

The adversity they had anticipated this season had finally arrived -- and they had managed to fight through it.

"That's when we knew," Clayton said, "that we belonged."

The pundits took notice, too. Undefeated and with a new top-10 ranking, the Gators had changed their fortunes and attracted national buzz.

With Clayton (39% from the 3-point line) running the show, Florida blossomed into one of the top offensive units in the country. Per Synergy Sports data, Florida -- No. 2 in adjusted offensive efficiency on KenPom -- is rated as an "excellent" team in pick-and-roll situations. Clayton had emerged as an SEC Player of the Year contender, too. It was clear that his supporting cast could compete with any group in the country.

Yet, those early highs had another effect: The Gators had, admittedly, lost some of their edge.

"Obviously, we went undefeated in nonconference," Clayton said. "Whenever you lose a game, some teams bounce back differently."

In their first SEC matchup, the Gators ran into a Kentucky squad that was just as comfortable in high-scoring affairs as they were. Mark Pope's offensive system had already spawned four 100-point efforts by the time the Wildcats hosted Florida at Rupp Arena on Jan. 4.

That day, the Gators produced 139 points per 100 possessions, an incredible scoring rate. But Kentucky (147 points per 100 possessions) was even better. In its first loss of the year, Florida had been bested at its own game.

"We started off not the way we wanted to," Alex Condon said about the 106-100 loss at Kentucky. "They shot the lights out of it."

HUMBLED, THE GATORS had to regroup. They were a team that had not tasted defeat in November and December and had entered the SEC schedule with momentum. But after only 40 minutes of conference play, they were regarded as a program that might have achieved its lofty record as a result of its soft nonconference schedule, not its talent.

"I honestly was as excited as you can be after that [loss at Kentucky]," Golden said. "A lot of people have questioned the strength of schedule we played in nonconference. Going on the road, playing in Rupp Arena against a team that we knew was really good, we didn't guard necessarily well enough, but we played well in that game. It was a great game. In a way, it gave us confidence moving toward."

Regardless, the Gators did not have time to sulk. The SEC would not allow it. The strongest conference in America -- perhaps the strongest conference of the past 30 years in men's college basketball -- created nightly challenges for its members, and Florida's next assignment featured the league's most imposing outfit at the time: a No. 1-ranked Tennessee squad that had not lost a game.

The Gators responded with a lopsided, 30-point win over the Volunteers.

It was their first home win over a No. 1 team and just the third victory against a top-ranked squad in school history. Martin, Condon and Denzel Aberdeen all finished in double figures that day. The Gators also amassed one of their best wins in program history without Clayton (seven points) playing like a star. That night, Florida demonstrated that it was not a one-man show. But the Gators also showed they could play elite defense, proved by Tennessee's 15-point tally in the first half.

"I think that week, with those two contests, explained to us and built a lot of belief within our program that we belonged at the top of the SEC," Golden said.

Sure enough, by February, the Gators had risen to the top tier of the conference. But next up was a trip to top-ranked Auburn, a squad that had won 14 consecutive games. Star Johni Broome had emerged as a true threat to Duke's Cooper Flagg in the race for the Wooden Award.

If the matchup alone wasn't enough of a challenge for the Gators, they had other issues. Martin had suffered a hip injury and would not be available for the game. Short-handed, Florida was quickly down 15-5. The Auburn crowd cheered in anticipation of the extension of the Tigers' winning streak.

Clayton (19 points) had other ideas, however, as he led a 43-23 run in the last 15 minutes of the first half. It was an insurmountable rally by the Gators.

"I think we just played very unselfish that game," Condon said.

It was a sign of things to come for Clayton and a source of newfound confidence for a Gators team that had traveled 312 miles to get the most significant win of its season to date.

"We were locked in. I noticed from pregame warmups that guys were dialed in, locked in and ready to take on the No. 1 team in the country," Martin said. "Throughout the game, we were just playing hard. We were super physical. We weren't worried about the referees or the calls."

And more importantly, if the Gators could beat Auburn on the road -- well, they could probably beat anyone, anywhere, they thought.

DURING A PRACTICE ahead of the NCAA tournament, Clayton calmly dribbled a ball near midcourt and casually launched a shot.

It went in.

"He does it all the time in practice," Aberdeen said. "It's nothing new to us."

Nothing about Clayton's achievements in the NCAA tournament have surprised the Gators. But those who had not followed his maturation into an AP first team All-American would soon see for themselves.

In the opening round of the tournament, Clayton (23 points, 4-for-9 from the 3-point line) led a team that scored 53 points in the first 16:45 of its win over Norfolk State. Florida finished with a clip of 144 points per 100 possessions. For perspective, the Golden State Warriors team that won a title with Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson during the 2016-17 season recorded a rate of 115 points per 100 possessions.

From there, Clayton (23 points) helped the Gators beat UConn, the defending champion, with clutch shots down the stretch of that game. And when his team needed him after Condon reaggravated his ankle injury against Maryland in the Sweet 16, Clayton delivered and became a playmaker to push Florida to the finish line.

But the Elite Eight matchup against Texas Tech is what made Clayton a household name. With the Gators down nine points with 3:14 to play, Condon looked over at Clayton during a late timeout.

"He was just calm," he said.

Clayton scored eight of his 30 points during a game-winning run that also included clutch plays by Martin, Haugh and Will Richard.

"There was like a minute and a half left, 20 seconds left on the shot clock, and he gets the ball in the middle of the paint," Micah Handlogten said. "He dribbles straight outside the 3-point line. He hits a turnaround 3-pointer to go up by one. I don't even know what was going through his head."

Sure, the Gators knew they were good. But that run? It made them feel like they might be a team of destiny.

AUBURN WANTED REVENGE. After its home loss to Florida on Feb. 8, Dylan Cardwell called a players-only meeting. In that room, the Tigers were not shy about calling one another out following the loss.

They also replayed film of their victory over Iowa State in the Maui Invitational for three consecutive days. Why? They wanted to remember what it had been like to play with an intensity they'd lacked against the Gators two months before their rematch in the Final Four.

Things would be different this time, it seemed. Early in the second half on Saturday, Auburn had a nine-point edge after the Tigers outplayed Florida in the first half.

But it didn't matter. Because the Gators had Clayton.

"I feel like he's in the zone every time he touches the rock," Sam Alexis said about the team's confidence in Clayton. "We've got Walt. He's going to let it fly."

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl had vowed that Clayton "can't be the best player" on the court in the rematch, but the Florida star scored a career-high 34 points in the Alamodome on Saturday.

"That Walter Clayton Jr. is the real deal," former North Carolina head coach Roy Williams said from his seat in the front row. "He's the real deal."

Everyone in the building felt the same way after Clayton's 30-point games in the Elite Eight and the Final Four, a feat in men's basketball that had not been achieved since Larry Bird pulled it off for Indiana State in 1979, per ESPN Research.

Prior to Saturday's game, Clayton had been viewed as an exceptional talent who could carry Florida to the national title. But after that game against Auburn, he'd put himself in a position to leave San Antonio with a different label: legend.

"I probably should have done more to trap the ball out of his hands a little bit," Pearl said after his team's loss. "Believe it or not, that was part of our game plan, but we just didn't execute it. Just sort of say all things are kind of equal: Clayton was the difference. He was just flat out the difference. We couldn't contain him down on that end."

Two nights later, for 25 minutes and three seconds, Houston seemed to have found the kryptonite. Clayton -- who'd scored 64 points combined in his two previous outings -- was scoreless until early in the second half, when he hit a pair of free throws.

The Gators had spent the night at the Alamodome tussling their way out of a double-digit deficit, waiting for their star to don his cape and save them again.

But just when it seemed as if Clayton's candle had burned out, he did the only thing he knew to do: He kept fighting.

There was a 3-point play late in the game. Then another tough bucket, a foul and free throw. He looked in the air and screamed after that shot. It looked like it was all coming back to him. He could feel it happening again.

And sure enough, a clutch Clayton 3-pointer tied the game, 60-60, with 3:14 to play.

But he saved his best work for the final play of the game. After Sharp caught a pass at the top of the arc and prepared to launch a potential game winner, Clayton flew toward him with his arms outstretched. A flustered Sharp dropped the ball and could not touch it again without risking a double-dribble violation.

Then, Condon pounced on the loose ball as the buzzer blasted through the arena.

The Gators had won the championship.

"That closeout?" Florida associate head coach Carlin Hartman said about Clayton's defensive effort in the final seconds. "That won the game for us."

In the end, Clayton showed up before it was too late.

Because, as Florida has known all season and Houston learned firsthand on Monday night, it's never too late when Clayton is on the floor.

PHOENIX -- Zach Eflin's great night on the mound had a sour ending Monday after the Baltimore Orioles right-hander left a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks because of shoulder fatigue.

Eflin gave up only one run and four hits over six innings, but his velocity dipped in the sixth. The 30-year-old mentioned the fatigue to manager Brandon Hyde between innings, which was enough to shut him down for the evening.

The Orioles beat the Diamondbacks 5-1. Eflin threw 73 pitches.

"We're going to get some tests done, and hopefully, keeping our fingers crossed, everything's OK there," Hyde said. "Because he was absolutely cruising and so efficient. We're hoping for the best tomorrow."

Eflin said he was "pretty optimistic" the issue wouldn't be a long-term setback, adding that his exit, he thought, was "precautionary. We'll evaluate it tomorrow, and see how I feel after sleeping tonight."

The Orioles have already lost key reliever Albert Suárez for a couple of months after the right-hander was moved to the 60-day injured list Monday because of a shoulder injury.

Eflin was 5-2 with a 2.60 ERA over nine starts for the Orioles last season after being acquired at the trade deadline in a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. He is 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA through three starts this season.

"Listen, we won, 5-1, we played great defense, had an offensive game. It was a good day at the yard," Eflin said. "Unfortunately, I had a little bit of fatigue. But we'll see how it feels tomorrow."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON -- Shohei Ohtani got going again at the plate Monday night, falling a double short of hitting for the cycle.

The three-time MVP homered, tripled, singled and walked, finishing 3-for-4 with two RBIs in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 6-4 loss to the Washington Nationals. It was a nice bounce-back for Ohtani after he went 1-for-11 in a weekend series at Philadelphia.

With the Dodgers down two runs and Max Muncy on third base with two outs in the ninth inning, Ohtani walked on a full-count splitter from Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan.

"He had some really good takes there," Finnegan said. "He knows the situation, too. He knows I'm not going to give him anything too good to hit. He's a pro. He worked his at-bat and I was able to sneak back in there 3-2. If I was going to get him out, it was because he was going to chase something out of the zone and he did his job and took ball four."

Mookie Betts then grounded out to end the game.

Ohtani, however, focused more on the called third strike he took with a runner aboard in the eighth.

"My approach doesn't really change -- it's to really get on base," he said through an interpreter. "That fourth at-bat I really should have just taken a hack and see what happens."

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani was unselfish in his final plate appearance when he drew a walk with the game on the line.

"It's kind of hard to say he was struggling, but tonight he was locked in," Roberts said. "Even that last at-bat to earn the walk versus Finnegan and not try to chase a cycle speaks to being a team player and passing the baton. He had an excellent night."

On the pitching side, Ohtani is throwing bullpens and getting closer to live batting practice as the two-way superstar rehabs from elbow surgery.

"I feel pretty good with where I am at physically," he said. "There's some limitation on how hard I am supposed to throw or how many types of pitches I'm allowed to throw. Once that's cleared, I will be able to do all of the above. I feel pretty good about throwing live BP."

The Utah Hockey Club will open a new practice and training facility for team use on Sept. 1, the team announced Monday.

The 115,780-square-foot facility, built on the southeastern end of a Sandy shopping mall, will house two NHL standard ice sheets. It will also include training, medical and dining facilities as well as team locker rooms.

Building a practice facility quickly was one of the immediate challenges Utah owner Ryan Smith faced in bringing an NHL team to the Beehive State. The Utah Olympic Oval, which is primarily used for speedskating events, served as the team's practice facility this season, but it was intended to be only a temporary solution.

"We want to be competitive in the NHL, and to do that you got to have a place where these guys can practice and they can recover, and it's home," Smith said. "We did a miraculous job with the Oval, but at the same time that's not this."

Players on Utah's roster had input on the practice facility's design from the dining areas to the locker rooms. The facility incorporates many of their suggestions.

"We tried to involve them as much as we can in every part of this," Smith said.

Utah's practice facility will also be ready for public use next January. It will feature event venues, eight community locker rooms, equipment rentals and a team store. The ice rinks will be available to the public when not in use by the team.

Hockey fans often hear about the dreaded Stanley Cup hangover, when a team falters in the season after their championship. But a Presidents' Trophy hangover?

Last season, the New York Rangers finished on top of the regular-season standings. This season, it's looking less likely by the day that they'll even make the playoffs.

When play begins Monday, the Rangers will be six points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. With only six games left, they'll need to come close to running the table, and will also need help from Montreal's opponents.

Monday's game is home against the Tampa Bay Lightning (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+). The Lightning have clinched a berth but will still be playing hard as they have a chance to catch the Toronto Maple Leafs for the top spot in the Atlantic Division.

After the Lightning, the Rangers host the Philadelphia Flyers, then have three straight road games, against the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers. They close out the season with another matchup against the Lightning.

As noted, New York will need to gin up a winning streak here to bolster its chances. As for the Canadiens, they close out with a somewhat easier schedule: home against the Detroit Red Wings, at the Ottawa Senators and Maple Leafs, then home for the Chicago Blackhawks and the Hurricanes.

So that's the task ahead for the Blueshirts. Will they come through?

With the regular season ending April 17, we'll help you track it all with the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we'll provide details on all the playoff races, along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.

Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.

Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Clinching scenarios
Today's schedule
Yesterday's scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick

Current playoff matchups

Eastern Conference

A1 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
A2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3 Florida Panthers
M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 Montreal Canadiens
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils

Western Conference

C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 Minnesota Wild
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 St. Louis Blues
P2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Edmonton Oilers

Clinching scenarios

The Edmonton Oilers will clinch a playoff spot if they defeat the Anaheim Ducks in any fashion, AND the Calgary Flames lose to the San Jose Sharks in regulation.

The St. Louis Blues will clinch a playoff spot if they defeat the Winnipeg Jets in regulation, AND the Flames lose to the Sharks in regulation.

Monday's games

Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).

Tampa Bay Lightning at New York Rangers, 7 p.m.
St. Louis Blues at Winnipeg Jets, 7:30 p.m. (NHLN)
Edmonton Oilers at Anaheim Ducks, 10:30 p.m.
Seattle Kraken at Los Angeles Kings, 10:30 p.m.
Calgary Flames at San Jose Sharks, 10:30 p.m.

Sunday's scoreboard

New York Islanders 4, Washington Capitals 1
Minnesota Wild 3, Dallas Stars 2 (OT)
Ottawa Senators 4, Columbus Blue Jackets 0
Detroit Red Wings 2, Florida Panthers 1
Buffalo Sabres 6, Boston Bruins 3
Chicago Blackhawks 3, Pittsburgh Penguins 1
Montreal Canadiens 2, Nashville Predators 1
Vegas Golden Knights 3, Vancouver Canucks 2

Expanded standings

Atlantic Division

x - Toronto Maple Leafs

Points: 98
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 6
Points pace: 105.7
Next game: @ FLA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

x - Tampa Bay Lightning

Points: 94
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 6
Points pace: 101.4
Next game: @ NYR (Monday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

x - Florida Panthers

Points: 92
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 5
Points pace: 98.0
Next game: vs. TOR (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Ottawa Senators

Points: 90
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 5
Points pace: 95.8
Next game: @ CBJ (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Montreal Canadiens

Points: 85
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 5
Points pace: 90.5
Next game: vs. DET (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 79.2%
Tragic number: N/A

Detroit Red Wings

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 85.2
Next game: @ MTL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 5.4%
Tragic number: 6

Buffalo Sabres

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 79.8
Next game: vs. CAR (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 1

e - Boston Bruins

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 4
Points pace: 74.6
Next game: @ NJ (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Metro Division

x - Washington Capitals

Points: 107
Regulation wins: 42
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 5
Points pace: 114.0
Next game: vs. CAR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

x - Carolina Hurricanes

Points: 96
Regulation wins: 41
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 6
Points pace: 103.6
Next game: @ BUF (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

New Jersey Devils

Points: 89
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 5
Points pace: 94.8
Next game: vs. BOS (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

New York Rangers

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 85.2
Next game: vs. TB (Monday)
Playoff chances: 8.5%
Tragic number: 6

New York Islanders

Points: 78
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 84.2
Next game: @ NSH (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 2.5%
Tragic number: 5

Columbus Blue Jackets

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 83.1
Next game: vs. OTT (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 4.5%
Tragic number: 4

e - Pittsburgh Penguins

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 4
Points pace: 77.8
Next game: vs. CHI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

e - Philadelphia Flyers

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 75.6
Next game: @ NYR (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Central Division

x - Winnipeg Jets

Points: 108
Regulation wins: 41
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 5
Points pace: 115.0
Next game: vs. STL (Monday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

x - Dallas Stars

Points: 105
Regulation wins: 41
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 5
Points pace: 111.8
Next game: vs. VAN (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

x - Colorado Avalanche

Points: 98
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 4
Points pace: 103.0
Next game: vs. VGK (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

St. Louis Blues

Points: 93
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 4
Points pace: 97.8
Next game: @ ANA (Monday)
Playoff chances: 99.5%
Tragic number: N/A

Minnesota Wild

Points: 91
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 4
Points pace: 95.7
Next game: vs. SJ (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 86.4%
Tragic number: N/A

Utah Hockey Club

Points: 82
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 87.3
Next game: vs. SEA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.2%
Tragic number: 1

e - Nashville Predators

Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 66.0
Next game: vs. NYI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

e - Chicago Blackhawks

Points: 54
Regulation wins: 19
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 57.5
Next game: @ PIT (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Pacific Division

x - Vegas Golden Knights

Points: 102
Regulation wins: 43
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 5
Points pace: 108.6
Next game: @ COL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

x - Los Angeles Kings

Points: 97
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 6
Points pace: 104.7
Next game: vs. SEA (Monday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Edmonton Oilers

Points: 93
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 6
Points pace: 100.3
Next game: @ ANA (Monday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Calgary Flames

Points: 85
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 91.7
Next game: @ SJ (Monday)
Playoff chances: 12.6%
Tragic number: 6

Vancouver Canucks

Points: 83
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 88.4
Next game: @ DAL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 1.4%
Tragic number: 2

e - Anaheim Ducks

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 79.8
Next game: vs. EDM (Monday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

e - Seattle Kraken

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 76.7
Next game: @ LA (Monday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

e - San Jose Sharks

Points: 50
Regulation wins: 14
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 54.0
Next game: vs. CGY (Monday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Note: An "x" means that the team has clinched a playoff berth. An "e" means that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention.

Race for the No. 1 pick

The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process are here. Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL's Erie Otters, is No. 1 on the draft board.

1. San Jose Sharks

Points: 50
Regulation wins: 14

2. Chicago Blackhawks

Points: 54
Regulation wins: 19

3. Nashville Predators

Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23

4. Philadelphia Flyers

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20

5. Boston Bruins

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 24

6. Seattle Kraken

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 27

7. Pittsburgh Penguins

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 21

8. Anaheim Ducks

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 23

9. Buffalo Sabres

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 27

10. Columbus Blue Jackets

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 24

11. New York Islanders

Points: 78
Regulation wins: 27

12. Detroit Red Wings

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 28

13. New York Rangers

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 32

14. Utah Hockey Club

Points: 82
Regulation wins: 27

15. Vancouver Canucks

Points: 83
Regulation wins: 27

16. Calgary Flames

Points: 85
Regulation wins: 27

Inter Miami CF hold the discovery rights for Manchester City player Kevin De Bruyne, sources told ESPN, setting up a scenario in which the Belgian playmaker could join Lionel Messi in south Florida.

The player recently announced on social media that he will be leaving Man City at the end of the season when his contract with the English club expires. The 33-year-old has been with the four-time defending Premier League champions since 2015.

De Bruyne will be a free agent after the expiration of his contract, and because Inter Miami hold his discovery rights in MLS, they have the first chance to negotiate with him if he chooses to play in North America's top flight.

MLS rules state that clubs can sign up to five players to their discovery list at any given time. By listing a player, that team holds the exclusive right to begin negotiations first without competition from other MLS clubs.

The Belgium international had been linked to 2025 MLS expansion team San Diego FC last summer, but sporting director Tyler Heaps shut down the idea of his arrival there due to financial concerns.

"I've had conversations with him, but I'll tell you what: Those wages won't fit our budget at the moment in terms of what his expectations are," Heaps said at the time.

The Herons already boast a star-studded roster with Messi, Luis Suárez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, but could use the experience of De Bruyne when competing in international tournaments in 2025.

Inter Miami will participate in the 2025 Club World Cup and Leagues Cup this summer as well as the ongoing MLS regular season, which began at the end of February.

When De Bruyne announced his decision to leave City last week, he wrote on social media: "So I'll get straight to it and let you all know that these will be my final months as a Manchester City player. Nothing about this is easy to write, but as football players, we all know this day eventually comes. That day is here -- and you deserve to hear it from me first.

"Football led me to all of you -- and to this city. Chasing my dream, not knowing this period would change my life. This city. This club. These people ... gave me everything. I had no choice but to give everything back! And guess what -- we won everything.

"Whether we like it or not, it's time to say goodbye."

In addition to his six Premier League titles with City, De Bruyne was also part of the teams that won five Carabao Cups, two FA Cups, two Community Shields and a Champions League during his trophy-rich run at the Emirates Stadium.

The 2025 MLS season is now firmly underway, which means it's time for ESPN's Power Rankings.

Who's climbing the table? Who's in free fall? Our writers studied the action from across Matchday 7 to come up with this week's order of all 30 teams in the league. Let's dive in.

1. Inter Miami CF

Previous ranking: 1

Inter Miami got its customary goal from Lionel Messi, but only after conceding to Federico Bernardeschi. In spite of the 1-1 draw with Toronto FC, Miami keeps the top spot having remained undefeated and with their focus on this week's Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal, second leg, with LAFC.

2. Columbus Crew

Previous ranking: 2

The Crew took care of business early, with goals in the 11th and 26th minutes to push head coach Wilfried Nancy past former team CF Montreal 2-1. They remain the league's only undefeated team aside from Miami.

3. Vancouver Whitecaps

Previous ranking: 3

There were no Concacaf Champions Cup distractions here. Despite a trip to Mexico City to face Pumas in the CCC quarterfinals approaching, Jesper Sørensen's bunch convincingly dispatched the Colorado Rapids, 2-0, and remain atop the Western Conference.

4. San Diego FC

Previous ranking: 5

For weeks we've been wondering what this team would look like with star winger Hirving Lozano at his best. We got a glimpse of it as "Chucky" registered an assist and a goal in a 3-0 win over the Seattle Sounders. Scary.

5. Philadelphia Union

Previous ranking: 4

The Union keep their place in the top five despite a scoreless draw with Orlando City at Subaru Park. Bottling up an Orlando attack that had 15 goals in six matches coming into the contest is a huge plus, even if the Union couldn't break through with a goal of their own.

6. Minnesota United

Previous ranking: 7

Direct and dominant in a 2-1 win over New York City FC at Yankee Stadium, the Loons' season-opening loss is a distant memory with six straight weeks undefeated.

7. FC Cincinnati

Previous ranking: 6

Despite star attacker Evander missing out because of a knee injury and having other key players out as well, FC Cincinnati still found a way to top the New England Revolution, 1-0.

9. Charlotte FC

Previous ranking: 8

It took a late flurry of offense, but midfielder Pep Biel helped jolt Charlotte FC into a 2-1 come-from-behind victory against Nashville SC that keeps them near the top of the Eastern Conference.

9. Colorado Rapids

Previous ranking: 8

The Colorado Rapids could not figure out the Vancouver Whitecaps in a 2-0 defeat at BC Place, finishing the night without so much as a shot on goal. Zack Steffen has been fantastic, but a goalkeeper can only do so much.

10. Austin FC

Previous ranking: 10

Austin FC's 0-0 draw with the Portland Timbers extends the club's unbeaten run to four matches, but fans who saw the team's early-season struggles to create scoring chances will have concerns that the trend is re-emerging.

11. Orlando City

Previous ranking: 11

No team has scored more goals (15) than Orlando City this season, but they couldn't find the back of the net in a scoreless stalemate with the Philadelphia Union. It was their first clean sheet of the year, but now coach Oscar Pareja needs to figure out how to put it all together.

12. New York Red Bulls

Previous ranking: 13

It was from the penalty spot, granted, but Eric Choupo-Moting scored for the second match in a row in a 2-1 win over the Chicago Fire. Getting their biggest offseason addition in an attacking rhythm would be great news for the Red Bulls.

13. LAFC

Previous ranking: 12

LAFC is another team looking toward the Concacaf Champions Cup, and it showed as they fell flat in a 1-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo. Next up: Another CCC duel with Inter Miami.

14. Atlanta United

Previous ranking: 14

While a 1-1 home draw with FC Dallas may not get the alarm bells ringing in Georgia's capital, a deeper look might. The team struggled for creativity and needs one of its big-money players (Miguel Almirón, Emmanuel Latte Lath, Mateusz Klich, Alexey Miranchuk) to start proving they're a genuine difference-maker.

15. Nashville SC

Previous ranking: 15

Nashville captain Walker Zimmerman is out of the hospital after a concerning kick to the head. Before his departure, things were looking good for Nashville, but two late goals meant a 2-1 loss to Charlotte FC.

16. Seattle Sounders

Previous ranking: 16

The Sounders went into the locker room down 3-0 at halftime to San Diego FC, and that ended up being the final score too, with the Sounders unable to break through no matter what they tried. Is it time to start worrying about what this team may look like in this summer's Club World Cup?

17. FC Dallas

Previous ranking: 20

While unable to get a road win, FC Dallas fought back to secure a 1-1 draw against Atlanta United on Saturday. The Luciano Acosta-Petar Musa connection is starting to work; now if could only stop falling behind.

18. Portland Timbers

Previous ranking: 19

The Timbers held the possession edge in a 0-0 draw with Austin FC, but didn't get the same scoring spark they'd received from Brazilian winger Antony in each of the previous two weeks, failing to score for the first time since March 8.

19. Chicago Fire

Previous ranking: 17

Already with three road wins to their credit this year, the Fire took the lead on Saturday but couldn't hold on and fell to the New York Red Bulls, 2-1. There were good signs in defeat, though, with Gregg Berhalter's squad creating more danger than the Red Bulls and ending up ahead on xG -- something they can build on this week.

20. New York City FC

Previous ranking: 18

NYCFC manager Pascal Jansen made the international sign for "Things went very wrong for us from the start" with a pair of 40th-minute changes against Minnesota United, but even that was too late to salvage what ended as a 2-1 defeat.

21. San Jose Earthquakes

Previous ranking: 22

Josef Martínez scored a hat trick, and other key players got in the goals as well as the Quakes enjoyed a 6-1 romp over D.C. United -- 29 years to the day after the first-ever MLS match took place in Northern California. After the match, manager Bruce Arena noted there's still plenty to improve, but Sunday looked like a lot of fun.

22. Real Salt Lake

Previous ranking: 24

Diego Luna scored a first-half double to power RSL past the LA Galaxy, 2-0, with RSL also keeping a clean sheet for just the second time this season.

23. St. Louis City SC

Previous ranking: 21

Facing a rival that had just fired its coach, the time was right for St. Louis to end a two-game dip. Instead it lost its third straight, falling 2-0 to Sporting Kansas City, and hasn't scored in 345 minutes.

24. Houston Dynamo

Previous ranking: 26

When they finally kicked off in a match delayed by poor weather, the Dynamo put in a nice performance, with winter acquisition Jack McGlynn netting his debut goal in a 1-0 victory over LAFC -- the club's first of the campaign.

25. Sporting Kansas City

Previous ranking: 30

In the first match since 2009 without Peter Vermes as manager, SKC beat Show Me State rival St. Louis City 2-0 behind a double from Dejan Joveljic. They'll take it, even if the "new-coach bounce" wears off quickly.

26. New England Revolution

Previous ranking: 25

The Revs managed just one shot on target in a 1-0 defeat to FC Cincinnati -- though Carles Gil created sx chances, according to Opta -- and have scored just three goals through six matches this season.

27. D.C. United

Previous ranking: 23

In a match celebrating 30 years since the inaugural MLS match between D.C. United and the San Jose Clash, D.C. looked nothing like the 1996 champions, falling 6-1 to the San Jose Earthquakes.

28. Toronto FC

Previous ranking: 29

Perhaps a 1-1 draw in Florida against Inter Miami will be the catalyst the Reds need to find their first win of the season.

29. LA Galaxy

Previous ranking: 27

The reigning champions still are yet to taste victory in MLS play this season, falling 2-0 to Real Salt Lake. Frustrations are mounting, but a shock win at Tigres in CCC play this week would get the good vibes going again.

30. CF Montréal

Previous ranking: 28

Though down early, CF Montreal was able to find a second-half goal and lose to the Columbus Crew by only a 2-1 margin. Maybe that will lead to some green shoots in a cold winter as they chase their first win?

Former NCAA tournament hero Kris Jenkins, in a lawsuit filed last week with the Southern District of New York, is suing the NCAA and six major conferences for limiting athlete pay and restricting his ability to capitalize off his name, image and likeness while he was at Villanova University.

Jenkins' lawsuit alleges that the NCAA and the major conferences, including the Big East, violated federal antitrust laws by impeding the ability of college athletes to make money based on their performances and collective market values. The lawsuit also claims that the defendants "unjustly enriched themselves and their for-profit business partners while causing extensive damage to the student-athletes."

Per the lawsuit, Jenkins "seeks the compensation that he would have received absent Defendants' unlawful restraints on pay-for-play compensation, a share of game telecast revenue and compensation that he would have received for media broadcast uses of his NIL ('BNIL'), and the compensation that he would have received for his NIL from third parties for use in video games and other opportunities including marketing, sponsorship, social media, branding, promotional, and other NIL deals."

The lawsuit comes nine years after the former Wildcats star hit a buzzer-beater against North Carolina in the 2016 national championship game to seal Villanova's first of two titles in a three-year span.

Jenkins said he's happy for the athletes who today can make millions for their efforts in the NCAA tournament. But he said he filed the lawsuit in part because the NCAA and his school have been rewarded financially as a result of his effort in that title game and beyond.

Jenkins opted out of the $2.8 billion House v. NCAA settlement, which was discussed in a hearing in California on Monday, and decided to pursue his own lawsuit, one of a handful filed by former athletes who have said they were denied their NIL rights while they were in school.

"I feel like it's different from those [lawsuits], and the NCAA has shown that it is different from a lot of other things that have happened in the past just because of the magnitude of the situation, the shot, the financial gains for the NCAA and the unlawful rules that they had in place that prohibited all of us from being able to benefit," Jenkins told ESPN on Monday.

In his lawsuit, Jenkins says his shot encouraged a $22.6 million donation to Villanova University from alumnus William Finneran in 2016 and also allowed the NCAA to make money by using the video and image of his shot in a variety of ways. On YouTube, the NCAA's video of his last-second shot over the Tar Heels in 2016 has 4.5 million views.

The former Villanova standout said he wants to be compensated fairly -- a desire he has for all current and former athletes -- for the greatest achievement of his collegiate career.

"It's such a unique situation," Jenkins said. "It's a one-of-one case. We haven't had a game-winner, walk-off, buzzer-beating 3-pointer to win a national championship -- I would say ever -- until my shot, and you see it being used on CBS broadcasts and commercials, and that lets you know the value right there. I haven't played college basketball in eight or nine years and the shot is still being replayed and reused, and I haven't been compensated for that in any way."

Jenkins added that he would have been able to put his family in a better situation had he been allowed to capitalize on NIL rights.

"I just feel like the opportunity had arose for us to make the right move [with the lawsuit] and seek full compensation for not being able to make money on NIL, which hindered my family's progress, which hindered my progress financially, which set our family back from the position that we really could have been in from the hard work that I put in," he said. "Because at the end of the day, being a college student-athlete is a nine-to-five job. We spend more time working and doing things than faculty do. Faculty gets to go home for Christmas break, but not your basketball players."

When asked for a response to Jenkins' lawsuit, a spokesperson said the NCAA has "no comment."

OAKLAND, Calif. -- A multi-billion-dollar legal settlement with the potential to reshape the business of college sports inched closer to its fast-approaching finish line during a federal court hearing Monday.

Judge Claudia Wilken declined to provide final approval of a deal between the NCAA and plaintiff attorneys representing past, present and future Division I athletes, but she directed lawyers to address a short list of her remaining concerns within one week.

"I think it's a good settlement," Wilken said while wrapping up the seven-hour hearing, before quickly adding, "Don't quote me."

The NCAA has agreed to pay roughly $2.8 billion in damages to past and current athletes to settle three federal antitrust lawsuits that claim the association's rules have limited the athletes' earning potential in various ways. The deal, commonly referred to as the House settlement after lead plaintiff Grant House, would also create a new system for schools to pay players directly starting this summer.

In exchange, the NCAA will be allowed to limit how much each school can spend on its athletes per year -- an effective salary cap that is expected to start at roughly $20.5 million per school and increase annually during the 10-year lifespan of the deal. The deal also gives the industry's most powerful conferences an increased ability to police the name, image and likeness deals between athletes and boosters, which is intended to keep teams from using their boosters to circumvent the $20.5 million cap.

Wilken, who has ruled on several cases that have reshaped the NCAA's rules in the past decade, specifically asked lawyers from both sides to rethink one provision that would place a limit on how many athletes could be on a school's roster for each sport and to provide more details on how future athletes could object to the terms of the deals once they enroll in college.

Several objectors who spoke Monday asked Wilken to reject the settlement because it could lead to the elimination of thousands of roster spots on Division I teams across the country. The NCAA's current rules place limits on the number of scholarships that each team can give to its players. That rule will go away if the settlement is approved, meaning a school can provide a full scholarship to every one of its athletes if it chooses to do so.

To keep the wealthiest schools from stockpiling talent, the NCAA has proposed to instead limit the number of players each team can keep on its roster. Many teams will have to cut current athletes from their rosters to comply with the new rule if the settlement is approved. Gannon Flynn, a freshman swimmer at Utah who spoke at the hearing, said his coaches told him that he will not have a spot on the team next season specifically because of the settlement.

"We're not here for money. We just want to play and compete," Flynn told the judge. "On paper, this settlement might look good ... but thousands of people are losing their spots."

Wilken suggested Monday that any current athlete should get to keep their spot even if it puts a team over the new roster limit.

"My idea there is to grandfather in a group of rostered people. There are not that many. It's not that expensive. It would generate a lot of good will," Wilken said.

Judges are not allowed to mandate specific changes to a settlement, but Wilken can make suggestions for how the attorneys could resolve problems that might otherwise keep her from blessing the deal.

"We are standing by our settlement. We think it's fair. If the NCAA wants to grandfather it in, that's up to them," said Steve Berman, one of two co-lead attorneys for the plaintiffs.

Attorney Rakesh Kilaru, lead counsel for the NCAA, said he needed to speak to his clients about any potential change to the roster limit terms but he remained optimistic the settlement would be approved.

Other objectors Monday raised concerns that the $2.8 billion in damages were being divvied up in a way that is unfair to women athletes. Men, especially football and basketball players, are expected to receive at least 90% of the damages payments.

Others argued that the settlement creates a new antitrust violation by capping how much each school can spend on athletes. Professional sports leagues set legal salary caps by negotiating those limits in a collective bargaining agreement with a players union. Wilken said that while a collective bargaining agreement "might be a great idea," the case in front of her did not give her the authority to rule on whether athletes should be able to negotiate in that fashion.

Berman said he is hopeful that it will take only a few more weeks for Wilken to grant final approval to the deal. Schools are planning to begin paying their players directly in July. Fellow plaintiffs attorney Jeffrey Kessler said he is confident that Wilken will make her ruling in plenty of time to keep the plans to pay athletes in the coming year on track.