NCAA Faces Deadline on Proposal to Allow Sports Betting for Athletes

As the landscape of sports gambling continues to evolve, the NCAA is set to make a significant decision regarding a proposed rule change that could allow college athletes and staff to bet on professional sports. The organization has until 5 p.m. ET on November 21, 2023 to determine whether to adopt this proposal. If it is not rescinded, the rule will come into effect the following day, November 22.

The proposal has raised eyebrows amid ongoing allegations of sports gambling misconduct in Major League Baseball and the NBA. Many within college athletics are skeptical about the likelihood of this change taking place. A coach, who chose to remain anonymous, expressed doubts, stating, “There’s no way that happens, right?”

To block the proposal, two-thirds of the Division I member schools must submit paperwork opposing the change. Currently, fewer than the required 241 out of 361 schools have indicated their opposition, according to a source familiar with the situation.

Historically, college athletes, coaches, and staff have faced strict prohibitions against betting on sports governed by the NCAA. While horse racing was permitted, betting on football, basketball, baseball, and hockey was not allowed. The NCAA argues that with the increasing legalization of sports betting across various states, the rationale for prohibiting college athletes from wagering on professional sports has diminished. Nonetheless, betting on college sports remains strictly forbidden.

Roberta Page, director of athletics at Slippery Rock and chair of the Division II Management Council, commented on the proposal, stating, “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.”

The proposal was initially set to take effect on November 1. However, the situation became more complex following the unsealing of an indictment that detailed two separate sports gambling schemes. These schemes implicated members of three New York crime families, two NBA players, and an NBA head coach, generating immediate backlash against the NCAA’s proposal.

In a letter to NCAA president Charlie Baker, Greg Sankey, commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, urged the NCAA to reconsider its stance. He emphasized the need to maintain strong standards that separate college participants from sports wagering at all levels.

Following this, the NCAA announced a delay in its decision-making process. This postponement was not solely due to public outcry; it resulted from a lack of support for the proposal among cabinet members, which triggered an automatic 30-day rescission process. Notably, two representatives from the Southeastern Conference voted in favor of the proposal despite their commissioner’s objections.

In the weeks following the announcement of the rescission period, the landscape of sports integrity continued to be challenged. Two MLB pitchers faced charges for rigging games, and six college basketball players from three institutions received permanent bans from NCAA competition due to game-fixing violations. Furthermore, on Thursday, the New Jersey Attorney General’s office announced charges against 14 individuals, including student-athletes, for operating an illegal online sports betting scheme in collaboration with the Lucchese crime family.

As the NCAA approaches its deadline, the implications of its decision could resonate throughout college athletics, shaping policies on gambling and sports integrity for years to come.