NCAA: 2025 March Madness Tournaments Saw Decline in Sports Betting-Related Abuse

• The NCAA released results of a study evaluating online abuse and harassment during the March Madness tournaments
• Overall, online abuse significantly declined in 2025 compared with 2024 results
• Across all participants, incidents of abuse related to sports betting declined by 23%

Overall incidents of online sports betting abuse directed towards athletes participating in the 2025 March Madness basketball tournaments declined when compared with 2024 totals, the NCAA reported.

The NCAA released the results of a study performed by Signify which monitored public comments targeting the online profiles of student-athletes, coaches, officials, and committee members associated with the 2025 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.

Overall, incidents of online abuse related to sports betting decreased by 23% in 2025 when compared with 2024 totals.

Significant Declines in Sports Betting Abuse

More than 1 million social media posts and comments that mentioned players, teams, officials, and stakeholders involved in the 2025 March Madness basketball tournaments were analyzed by Signify. Of the 54,096 posts and comments flagged for potential abuse or threat, 3,161 were confirmed as abusive or threatening.

Signify conducted 103 investigations into accounts posting threatening content and referred 10 matters to law enforcement.

Throughout the tournament, coverage monitored the accounts of 2,032 players, 346 coaches, 136 teams, and 269 game officials and selection committee members.

“One of the first things student-athletes told me when I became NCAA president was that they were being harassed online by people who are following or betting on their games,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said. “From day one, it’s been a priority to study this issue, monitor the public interactions, protect student-athletes and allow them to focus on being students and competing at the highest level on the court with their teammates.”

Results of the study revealed the following key findings:

• Total abuse on the women’s side dropped by approximately 83% from 2024, while betting-related abuse declined by 66%
• Total abuse on the men’s side increased by 140%, but abuse related to sports betting decreased by 36%
• Across all participants, abuse related to sports betting was down 23%

In 2024, Signify identified that 42% of social media abuse during March Madness targeted student athletes, while the 2025 total decreased by 15%.

“We have been encouraged to record a reduction in sports betting-related abuse and threat at the 2025 event, as this is often the trigger for the most egregious and threatening content we detect,” Jonathan Hirshler, Signify Group’s CEO, said. “By supporting the NCAA in demonstrating that abusers can be identified and will be reported to law enforcement – where criminal thresholds are broken – it is possible to see a deterrent effect in play. We are proud to support the NCAA in this crucial space and will continue to expand the layers of protection available to its athlete and wider community, such as DM support, in the months ahead.”

Despite Declines, Harassment Still Evident

While the overall cases of sports betting harassment on social media did decline in 2025, student-athletes are still being harassed by angry bettors.

“After the game (against Southern California), I received all kinds of messages, so many of them hateful and abusive, and the NCAA and Signify helped to support me and manage the harassment I was receiving,” Mississippi State women’s basketball player Chandler Prater said. “It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before.”

Mississippi State lost 96-59 in the regional finals.