INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA is exploring a potential policy adjustment that would permit athletes and staff to place bets on professional sports, focusing enforcement efforts on gambling activities related to college sports and behaviors that could impact game integrity.
The Division I Council has put forward a proposal slated for consideration this fall. It will proceed to implementation upon approval from officials within Divisions II and III. Under the new guidelines, betting on collegiate sports remains prohibited, as does disseminating information on college events to gamblers. NCAA championship events will not feature advertisements or sponsorships related to betting.
This initiative arises as the NCAA contends with the nationwide expansion of legalized gambling. NCAA President Charlie Baker and university sports officials have voiced concerns over instances of gamblers targeting athletes on social media due to their performances, coupled with ongoing allegations concerning betting within some college programs.
The NCAA recently shared that various violations concerning sports betting by staff at NCAA institutions have been adjudicated. Moreover, its enforcement division is preparing to issue allegations in multiple ongoing gambling inquiries. Despite persistent challenges in preventing gambling on professional sports by adult athletes across hundreds of institutions, the NCAA has already eased its reinstatement policies two years ago. Its collaboration with Genius Sports, aimed at supplying official NCAA data to authorized sportsbooks, includes a restriction on negative prop bets.
“The NCAA’s existing rules against sports betting were set during a time when such activities were largely illegal across the country,” commented Josh Whitman, Illinois athletics director and council chairman. As sports betting gains broader acceptance nationwide, Division I members have deemed further discussion on these policies necessary, especially concerning potential variances between professional and collegiate sports betting.
Current NCAA guidelines prohibit athletes and institutional personnel from sports betting on any competitions that conclude with NCAA championships; should an athlete wager on their own team or sport, they risk a lifelong expulsion from college athletics.
Jon Duncan, the NCAA’s vice president of enforcement, remarked on the significant uptick in cases related to sports betting violations in recent years. He commended the new sports betting integrity unit for its success in identifying and acting on these violations.
Dr. Deena Casiero, NCAA’s chief medical officer, suggested that allowing professional sports betting may be more practical than an “abstinence-only” stance, paving the way for education and an increased understanding of gambling-related risks. “By addressing student-athletes’ current realities, schools can better prevent and identify problematic gambling behaviors, supporting students more effectively,” Casiero explained.
Additionally, this week the Division I Board of Directors formally approved roster limits as a component of the $2.8 billion House settlement, which includes revenue sharing and lets schools provide as many scholarships as they want within roster constraints.
Furthermore, the Division I Council’s current actions include:
— Supporting a recommendation to cap men’s and women’s basketball regular-season games at 32, starting the 2026-27 season. Early-season tournament organizers have critiqued this decision, saying it might lead to fewer significant matchups.
— Proposing the inclusion of women’s flag football in the emerging sports for women program. The sport’s rise in popularity coincides with its upcoming Olympic appearance at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
— Enacting scheduling modifications for Football Championship Subdivision teams, allowing 12 regular-season games yearly from 2026 onward.
— Introducing proposals for establishing NCAA championships for women’s stunt and acrobatics and tumbling, pending Divisions II and III support, with potential commencement by spring 2027. These sports are on an upward trajectory in terms of popularity.
— Approved a motion to alter fencing championship scoring, enabling recognition of victorious men’s and women’s teams. Currently, win stats do not accommodate women-only teams to clinch the national title under the present format. Alterations require backing from Divisions II and III.