College athletes could soon be allowed to bet on professional sporting events.
On Wednesday, the NCAA’s Division I Administrative Committee approved a proposal allowing players to bet on pro sports. Current NCAA rules prevent players from placing any sports bets at all. If approved by the Division II and Division III governing bodies, the rule change would go into effect on Nov. 1.
“The Administrative Committee was clear in its discussion today that it remains concerned about the risks associated with all forms of sports gambling but ultimately voted to reduce restrictions on student-athletes in this area to better align with their campus peers,” Illinois athletic director and committee chair Josh Whitman said in a statement. “This change allows the NCAA, the conferences, and the member schools to focus on protecting the integrity of college games while, at the same time, encouraging healthy habits for student-athletes who choose to engage in betting activities on professional sports.”
Athletes would still be prohibited from gambling on college sports and from providing inside information for others to place wagers. There are harsh penalties for players who bet on their own games.
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In September, the NCAA revoked the eligibility of three men’s college basketball players who hatched a plan to make money via single-game prop bets and is currently investigating potential betting violations from over a dozen other athletes.
The most straightforward way to help prevent betting by NCAA athletes on their own events would be for sportsbooks to eliminate player prop bets on college games. Late last year, NCAA president Charlie Baker advocated for college player prop bets to be banned. However, there are still multiple states where there are no restrictions on college prop bets.
“The enforcement staff continues to investigate and resolve cases involving sports betting quickly but thoroughly,” NCAA vice president of enforcement Jon Duncan said. “Enforcement staff are investigating a significant number of cases that are specifically relevant to the NCAA’s mission of fair competition, and our focus will remain on those cases and those behaviors that impact the integrity of college sports most directly.”
