The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)’s Division I Administrative Committee has adopted a proposal that would permit student-athletes and staff members to bet on professional sports.
The proposal still needs to be approved by Division II and III before it can go into effect. If it is approved by all three divisions, the change would go into effect on 1 November.
Despite the proposed change, the committee reiterated that it does not endorse sports betting among 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 speak to the fairness of college sports competition and the academic successes of college athletes,” said Virginia Tech president Tim Sands.
“While NCAA members do not encourage student-athletes to engage in sports betting behaviors of any kind, the timing is right to modernize these rules by removing prohibitions against betting on professional sports and focusing on harm reduction strategies for behaviors that do not impact college sports directly.”
Josh Whitman, athletics director at Illinois and chair of the committee, commented: “The Administrative Committee was 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.
“This change allows the NCAA, the conferences, and the member schools to focus on protecting the integrity of college games while, at the same time, encouraging healthy habits for student-athletes who choose to engage in betting activities on professional sports.”
Dr. Deena Casiero, chief medical officer at the NCAA, added: “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.
“The NCAA will continue to collaborate with schools to help them provide student-athletes with meaningful education and other resources for student-athletes who choose to participate in betting on professional sports.”