In the wake of multiple gambling scandals that have rocked American sports, a decision has been made to prevent college athletes and those who work in athletic departments to gamble on professional sports.
The rule was initially proposed earlier this year and was set to be implemented on November 1.
That was delayed to November 22 following the NBA mafia-linked gambling scandal.
However, just one day before that rule was set to be implemented, the NCAA has now completely reversed course.
On Friday, a supermajority (two-thirds) of Division-I schools voted to rescind the rule to allow for athletes and staff to bet on professional sports only.
The rule would not have allowed for betting on collegiate sports.
A two-thirds majority of Division-I schools have voted to block the NCAA from adopting a rule which would allow college athletes and athletic department staff to bet on professional sports
That ban comes a month after the FBI arrested 34 people in connection with a vast conspiracy to fix poker games and sports bets. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was among those arrested.
Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups was also arrested by the FBI
The decision came down to the wire, with St. John’s University of New York casting the deciding vote, according to FrontOfficeSports.
The NCAA announced plans to implement the new policy back in October – with a group of school and conference officials voting on the rule.
But in the days following the NBA scandal – which led to indictments for Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, and former player Damon Jones – multiple college leaders called for the decision to be reversed
On the same day of the reversal, the NCAA announced a lifetime ban for former Temple University guard Hysier Miller after he was found to have placed $473 worth of bets across 42 parlays. This included three bets against his own team.
The decision to abandon the rule change comes about a month after an FBI investigation led to the arrests of 34 people on charges of conspiracy to commit fraud, money laundering, extortion and illegal gambling among others.
On Friday, the NCAA banned Temple guard Hysier Miller (R) after he bet against his own team
The arrests concerned two different, but connected, fixing operations – one which involved the rigging of poker games, the other an alleged insider sports-betting scheme.
Rozier was arrested for the sports-betting scheme. The guard was accused of purposely underperforming and faking injuries in order for ‘under’ prop bets to hit.
Billups was allegedly involved in a vast conspiracy to rig various card games which were tied back to mafia operations.
FrontOfficeSports reports that the NBA scandal wasn’t the only reason why schools took action to stop the new rule’s adoption.
