The NCAA introduced a proposal this week that would scrap a rule prohibiting college athletes and staff members from wagering on pro sports.
Currently, student athletes and program staff members are unable to participate in the online sports betting boom. But that could change soon.
The move comes after the Division I Board of Directors voted to repeal the rule in April by a 21-1 margin. Board members said enforcing the rule had become too cumbersome and hampered university compliance efforts for infractions that usually only bring small penalties.
Refocusing Game Integrity Efforts
The NCAA said repealing the rule would allow the association to refocus efforts on college sports betting and behaviors that directly impact game integrity.
“NCAA rules prohibiting sports betting at all levels were written and adopted at a time when sports gambling was largely illegal nationwide,” Illinois athletics director and Division I Council chair Josh Whitman said.
“As betting on sports has become more widely accepted across the country, Division I members have determined that further discussion of these sports betting rules is warranted, particularly as it relates to the potential distinctions between betting on professional versus collegiate sports. Throughout our discussions, the council has remained focused on student-athlete wellness and educating student-athletes about the risks and potentially harmful impacts of betting.”
Under the proposal, athletes still couldn’t bet on college sports and nobody involved in the program could share information with bettors. Additionally, it bans sportsbook advertising and sponsorships during NCAA championships.
The association changed procedures in 2023 that focused on harm reduction for problematic betting behaviors rather than more harsh punishments, the NCAA noted.
“Deregulating professional sports betting may provide schools an additional opportunity to implement harm-reduction strategies, which can be more effective and have long-term benefits not seen with abstinence-only approaches,” NCAA chief medical officer Dr. Deena Casiero said. “Harm-reduction strategies include education, stigma reduction and acknowledging actual behaviors.”
NCAA officials with the organization said they will formally consider the rule in October. However, Division II and III schools must also approve the proposal as well for it to go into effect.
Betting-Related Controversies
The NCAA started its attitude change after betting controversies arose at several college programs.
In February, Fresno State and the University of New Orleans basketball teams held multiple players out of games as investigations began bout possible NCAA gambling violations.
According to an ESPN report, regulators flagged a Temple basketball game for suspicious gambling activity, and they flagged other basketball programs over the last two years. In 2023, now-former University of Alabama baseball head coach Brad Bohannon lost his job after giving inside information to a bettor who wanted to wager against the Crimson Tide.
The NCAA has also reported athletes facing increased scrutiny from fans in recent years in regard to performance affecting betting. The organization has pushed states and the federal government to ban prop betting on college athletes.
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