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The NCAA has certainly not been immune to the rise in scandals that are inextricably linked with the increased normalization of sports betting in the United States. However, all signs point to student-athletes having a bit more freedom to get in on the action thanks to a rule change that’s set to loosen the restrictions they’re required to abide by.
It’s been seven years since the Supreme Court issued the ruling that marked the start of a new era for sports betting in America, and more than 75% of the states that comprise the country have legalized the practice within their borders since then.
It was a welcome change, but also one that was inevitably going to create some issues due to the nature of the beast that was unleashed. The NBA, NFL, and MLB have all had to deal with scandals involving players who’ve been suspended and, in the cases of Jontay Porter and Tucupita Marcano, hit with lifetime bans for various forms of impropriety, and the NCAA has also not been immune.
Earlier this year, the governing body launched an investigation into 13 men’s basketball players at six different schools concerning allegations of point shaving and other forms of manipulation, while football players at Iowa and Iowa State were the biggest names wrapped up in a sting that began in 2023.
Most of those black eyes involved players who clearly crossed the line by gambling on games they were involved in, but student-athletes also run the risk of getting in trouble for simply betting on sports in the first place. However, it would appear that’s about to change.
The NCAA is on the verge of allowing college athletes to bet on pro sports
It would be foolish to suggest there weren’t student-athletes who were gambling before it was widely legalized across the United States, and there are still plenty of ways for them to get around the restrictions they’re forced to abide by without really having to worry about raising any red flags.
It’s easy to understand why the NCAA would err on the side of caution by prohibiting student-athletes from gambling on any sports that it sponsors in any of its three divisional levels.
However, that means the ones who are old enough to gamble can’t bet on any of America’s “Big Four” leagues in addition to soccer, golf, and tennis, and I can only assume that has driven at least a few people to get way too into table tennis and cricket matches largely played on the other side of the globe.
It does kind of feel like overkill, and according to The Athletic, the NCAA seems to agree with that assessment when you consider its Division I Administrative Committee has approved a measure that will allow student-athletes to bet on professional sports pending approval from the powers that be at the DII and DIII levels.
If approved, the change will go into effect on November 1st. College sports are still firmly off the table, but this seems like a step in the right direction.
