NCAA Pauses Implementation of Rule Allowing Athletes to Bet on Professional Sports
INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA is delaying a recently approved rule change that would have permitted student-athletes to bet on professional sports. The pause comes as the association faces a 30-day window for Division I schools to potentially rescind the proposal, which was adopted earlier this month with less then the required 75% support from the Division I cabinet. The rescission period closes November 22.
The rule change, initially intended to align with the evolving sports landscape, would not have altered existing NCAA regulations prohibiting athletes from betting on college sports or sharing confidential team facts with gambling interests.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey voiced his concerns to NCAA President Charlie Baker on Saturday, urging a reconsideration of the rule.
The delay arrives amid heightened scrutiny of sports betting integrity, following the recent arrest of NBA player Terry Rozier of the Miami Heat and a coach as part of an investigation into gambling operations allegedly leaking inside information.
“This change recognizes the realities of today’s sports environment without compromising our commitment to protecting the integrity of college competition or the well-being of student-athletes,” stated Roberta Page, athletic director at Slippery Rock and chair of the Division II Management council.
The NCAA has seen a rise in enforcement cases related to sports betting violations.Last month, three men’s college basketball players from Fresno State and San Jose State were banned for betting on their own games, collectively receiving thousands of dollars in payouts.
“We run the largest integrity programme in the world on sports betting across all the various games,” Baker said. “Sadly, we discovered some student-athletes involved with some problematic activity.”
Despite the potential rule change, the NCAA continues to emphasize its opposition to sports betting, especially for student-athletes.
