Last month, the NCAA decided that student-athletes and staff members could wager on pro sports.
They changed their minds. Last Friday, NCAA officials said they were reversing the decision.
The move comes after several coaches and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey criticized the change. NCAA officials hoped the move would alleviate the workload on university staff. They were facing a growing number of gambling cases, but most involved betting on professional sports.
The NCAA had noted that most of those cases incurred only minor infractions. However, the association released a statement last week noting that schools voted to reverse course.
“After a procedural 30-day period, two-thirds of Division I member schools have voted to rescind a previously approved rule change that would have allowed student-athletes and athletics department staff members to legally participate in sports betting on professional sports only,” the NCAA said in a statement about the move.
“Because sports betting rules are common legislation, the ban on all forms of betting — for sports in which the NCAA sponsors a championship — will remain in place for all three NCAA divisions.”
Considerable Pushback
The reversal comes in the face of considerable betting-related scandals in the NCAA and other sports organizations. The association is currently investigating players from several schools as part of a probe into betting-related violations.
At the professional level, there are a litany of gambling scandals. A handful of NBA players and coaches were arrested on gambling-related crimes. Additionally, two Cleveland Guardians pitchers are accused of altering their performances to help gamblers win sports bets.
The University of Pittsburgh’s head football coach Pat Narduzzi was one of the rule change’s most vocal opponents. He argued that coaches should have been consulted first and that the rule change was too accepting of what he believed could lead to gambling addiction.
“First of all, it’s a habit,” he said. “It’s no different than smoking, drinking, doing drugs. It’s a bad habit. I don’t think anybody in here encourages guys to go out drinking and get smashed on a Friday or Saturday night, or at a ballgame.”
Sankey sent a letter to NCAA president Charlie Baker outlining his concerns. The letter alluded to the NBA betting scandal and believes allowing pro sports betting could jeopardize game integrity.
“The integrity of competition is directly threatened when anyone with insider access becomes involved in gambling,” Sankey wrote. “Even when the wagers are placed on professional sports, the simple act of participating in gambling normalizes behavior, blurs boundaries, and erodes judgment.”
