The NCAA took another step Wednesday to allow athletes and athletic department staffers to bet on professional sports.
The Division I Administrative Committee approved the changewhich must still be approved by sections II and III to come into force.
If approved by all three divisions, it will take effect on November 1.
“The Administrative Committee made 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,” said Josh Whitman, Illinois athletics director and committee chair. “This change allows the NCAA, conferences and member schools to focus on protecting the integrity of college games while encouraging healthy habits for student-athletes who choose to engage in professional sports betting activities.”
This does not change the NCAA rule that prohibits athletes from betting on college sports. The NCAA also prohibits sharing information about college competitions with bettors. The institution also does not allow advertising and sponsorship of NCAA championships by betting sites.
Despite the potential change, the committee emphasized that it does not endorse sports betting, particularly for student-athletes.
“Division I members are actively working to deregulate NCAA rules where possible, and the Division I Board of Directors remains focused on preserving rules that directly affect the fairness of college athletic competition and the academic success of college athletes,” Virginia Tech President Tim Sands said. “While NCAA members do not encourage student-athletes to engage in sports betting behaviors of any kind, now is the time to modernize these rules by removing bans on betting on professional sports and focusing on risk reduction strategies for behaviors that do not directly impact college sports.”
The change comes as the number of NCAA enforcement cases involving sports betting violations has increased in recent years. Last month, the NCAA banned three men’s college basketball players for sports betting, claiming they bet on their own games at Fresno and San Jose States and were able to share thousands of dollars in winnings.
The NCAA Committee on Infractions has released the findings of a execution investigation which concluded that Mykell Robinson, Steven Vasquez and Jalen Weaver bet on each other’s games and/or provided information allowing others to do so during the 2024-25 regular season; two of them manipulated their performances to ensure that certain bets were won. Eligibility was permanently revoked.
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