The NCAA has approved a controversial proposal that will allow college athletes and staff to bet on professional sports – which has left fans divided.
Historically, student-athletes have been banned from ‘engaging in sports betting at any level (professional, college or amateur) for any sports that have championships.’
However, on Wednesday, the NCAA’s Division I Administrative Committee announced they had adopted a proposal to change the long-held policy – though betting on college sports would remain off limits.
In order for the proposal to go through, it would need approval from Divisions II and III.
The potential shift comes amid a growing number of alleged betting violations by student-athletes in recent years.
Josh Whitman, athletics director at Illinois and chair of the committee, said: ‘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.
The NCAA approved a proposal that will allow college athletes to bet on professional sports
Student-athletes are currently banned from ‘engaging in sports betting at any level (professional, college or amateur)’ but that could soon be set to change
‘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.’
The announcement shocked college sports fans across the country, with many taking to social media to express their anguish at the decision.
Taking to X, one wrote: ‘@NCAA proving over and over that they are incompetent. How this could even get approved is insane. Seems like maybe there are other things that need to be addressed as well instead of making this a priority’.
‘If you do not see where this is headed, you cannot be helped. The ‘sports’ that we all love with be a thing of the past in 10 years. All outcomes will be pre-determined, and it will be played out like a live drama. Heck, it may be that way now,’ another said.
Another disgruntled fan said: ‘Great, after we finally give college athletes the pay they deserve we are going to encourage them to blow their NIL deals on sports betting. Nothing good will come of this’.
In August, Oklahoma QB John Mateer found himself at the center of a bizarre gambling scandal after screenshots of his old Venmo transactions appeared online.
The image – which appeared on social media – showed a number of payments sent by Mateer to a friend in 2022. They included the reference ‘sports gambling’, with one even referencing ‘(UCLA vs USC).’
Mateer was a freshman at Washington State in 2022 and NCAA rules ban student-athletes from ‘engaging in sports betting at any level (professional, college or amateur) for any sports that have NCAA championships.’
Fans were quick to voice their concerns on social media shortly after the announcement
The screenshot quickly spread across social media but the quarterback denied any wrongdoing, insisting the payment references were in fact ‘inside jokes’ between him and his friends.
Meanwhile, in the same month, a Pennsylvania high school soccer coach was quietly suspended amid scandal after being caught allegedly gambling with students.
David Zimmerman, a nationally recognized soccer coach at the prestigious Conestoga High School in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, was caught back in January reportedly placing ‘prop bets’ with students on the school’s basketball games.
Zimmerman, who was named 2022 National Boys Soccer Coach of the Year for large public high schools, initially served a brief suspension over the course of a few days last winter following an internal investigation, according to The Inquirer.
The school, which is located in one of the most affluent districts in Pennsylvania, reportedly opened an investigation after learning of the alleged betting through ‘secondhand’ sources in January, and found that the gambling began last year ‘on a limited basis.’
Prop bets consist of wagers placed on specific occurrences or certain players’ statistics during games. It is a form of sports gambling that the NCAA has previously lobbied the federal government to ban.
