NCAA Will Soon Allow Athletes To Bet On Professional Sports
After years of zero tolerance, the NCAA is loosening its rules on sports gambling — but college sports are still off limits
NCAA athletes may soon be allowed to place legal bets on the NFL, NBA and other professional leagues.
The Division I Administrative Committee adopted a new policy on Wednesday that removes its longtime ban on wagering on sports — as long as it’s not college sports. Divisions II and III are expected to approve the same rule later this month. If that happens, the change will take effect on November 1.
That means NCAA athletes could be placing NFL Sunday parlays less than a week after Halloween.
Until now, athletes, coaches and even staff were barred from betting on any sport the NCAA sponsors. That meant everything from pro football and basketball to tennis and golf.
The NCAA clarified, though, that betting on college sports remains strictly prohibited, and so does sharing insider information or engaging in anything that threatens the integrity of college games.
Illinois AD and committee chair Josh Whitman said the decision was about keeping the focus on what really matters.
"This allows the NCAA, the conferences and member schools to focus on protecting the integrity of college games," Whitman said in a release, "while, at the same time, encouraging healthy habits for student-athletes who choose to engage in betting activities on professional sports."
In other words, kids are going to bet on sports anyway, so we might as well help them do it responsibly. The NCAA is calling this a harm reduction strategy.
"Abstinence-only approaches to social challenges for college-aged individuals are often not as successful as approaches that focus on education about risks and open dialogue," NCAA chief medical officer Dr. Deena Casiero said.
(Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)
The rule change follows a string of high-profile gambling violations, including multiple college basketball players busted for betting on their own games. Some are even facing permanent bans. Ongoing investigations currently involve 13 players from six schools.
MORE: NCAA Confirms Gambling Investigations Into 13 Athletes Across 6 Schools
Letting athletes bet on pro sports may help the NCAA narrow its enforcement priorities. Whether it helps curb the actual problem is another matter entirely.