By Jackson Posey | Sports Editor
The NCAA’s Division I Administrative Committee has adopted a proposal to allow student-athletes and athletics staff to bet on professional sports, the committee announced Wednesday. The rule change, which must also be approved by Division II and Division III, could go into effect as soon as Nov. 1.
Josh Whitman, who serves as chair of the committee and Illinois’ athletics director, said that the NCAA’s decision was made, in part, to protect the “integrity” of college games and encourage healthy gambling habits.
“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,” Whitman said in a statement.
Whitman acknowledged the dangers of sports betting, but said the committee decided to allow student-athletes to gamble to “better align with their campus peers.”
“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,” Whitman said in a statement.
The Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee supported the move, but requested the NCAA and its membership “will meet student-athletes halfway” by providing student-athletes with relevant education, resources and support systems.
“We believe this change represents meaningful progress toward a culture that prioritizes education, transparency and support over punishment,” the committee’s executive team said in a statement. “By removing unnecessary barriers, we are hopeful that student-athletes and athletics administrators will feel empowered to come forward, seek help and engage in open dialogue without fear.
The executive team also supported the right of individual conferences and institutions to “regulate sports wagering activity within their own communities as they see appropriate.”
The NCAA has never permitted student-athletes to gamble on NCAA-sponsored sports, whether at the collegiate or professional level. The limits to the organization’s enforcement capacity, though, have been tested extensively.
In 2023, more than a dozen Iowa State athletes were charged in connection with a state investigation into illegal sports gambling. 13 men’s basketball players across six different schools were suspended last month for gambling-related issues. In one particularly high-profile case, Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon was fired after failing to participate in an investigation into suspicious betting.
