NCAA Confirms Potential Changes to Sports Betting Policy

• Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde reported last week the NCAA was considering changes to its sports betting policy
• The NCAA confirmed the potential changes to Sports Betting Dime today
• If approved, athletes, coaches, and training staff would be allowed to bet on professional sports

The NCAA has confirmed it is evaluating potential changes to its sports betting policy for student athletes, coaches, and staff members, which would allow for sports betting on professional sports.

According to sources of Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors approved the groundwork for the rule change last month and has since forwarded the plan to the Division I Council for further discussion.

An NCAA spokesperson confirmed the evaluation with Sports Betting Dime, noting the Division I Board of Directors directed the Division I Council to adopt changes to its sports betting policy, namely to allow betting on professional sports.

A Year Long Evaluation

Sports Illustrated reported the D-I board voted 21-1 in favor of directing the council to adopt legislation to “deregulate the prohibition on wagering on professional sports.” If approved, collegiate athletes, coaches, and training staff members for D-I programs will be able to bet on professional sports, but the prohibition on betting on NCAA sports will still remain.

It’s been part of an evaluation that likely began last year. In May 2024, Sports Betting Dime reported that Mark Hicks, managing director of enforcement for the NCAA, said the NCAA began discussions with its three division leaders to evaluate its sports betting policy, and if the policy should be “liberalized.”

“And the second part of this year will be a discussion about, should it be liberalized? Should student athletes and athletic staff be allowed to bet on professional sports, college sports…whatever it is that conversation will take place the rest of this year and we’ll see where it goes,” Hicks said.

The NCAA spokesperson noted the Division I Council is expected to receive an update on the directive during its meeting this week, but is not expected to take any formal action on changing the policy until the end of June at the earliest.

Massive Sports Betting Policy Changes

As it currently stands, athletes face potentially stiff penalties from the NCAA if found betting on college or professional sports, which could lead to permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in the most harshest of cases. Other penalties are determined by the amount bet on professional sports and what type of bet, or on what team, is made on college sports.

However, sports betting is now legal in 40 states and more accepted then when the NCAA devised its original gambling policies.

The NCAA modernized its sports betting policies in June 2023, as reinstatement guidelines for student-athletes found participating in sports betting (but not on their own school) were made more lenient. The previous guidelines recommended student-athletes lose one full season of collegiate eligibility if they were found participating in any form of sports betting.

The previous guidelines were established before widespread legalization of sports betting in 2018.