NCAA Modernizes Penalties for College Athletes Participating in Sports Betting

• The NCAA Division I Legislative Committee approved new guidelines for reinstating the eligibility of student-athletes who commit violations relating to sports betting
• The new reinstatement guidelines for athletes participating in sports betting (not on their own school) have been modernized
• Betting on your own team, or engaging in activities to influence the outcome of a game, will potentially result in a lifetime ban from NCAA sports

The NCAA is taking a new, modern approach to student-athletes found participating in sports betting.

Reinstatement guidelines for student-athletes found participating in sports betting (but not on their own school) are now more lenient, as 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.

“These new guidelines modernize penalties for college athletes at a time when sports wagering has been legalized in dozens of states and is easily accessible nationwide with online betting platforms,” said Alex Ricker-Gilbert, athletics director at Jacksonville and chair of the DI Legislative Committee.

Harsh Penalties Still Exist

While reinstatement guidelines for student-athletes have been lessened for simple sports betting, athletes who engage in activities to influence the outcomes of their own games or “knowingly provide information to individuals involved in sports betting activities” will potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports, according to the new guidelines.

Additionally, if a student-athlete wagers on their own sport at another school, education on sports wagering rules and prevention will be required and a loss of 50% of one season of eligibility will be considered as a condition of reinstatement.

However, for other sports betting incidents, such as a student-athlete placing  wagers on a professional sports team, other factors will be taken into consideration before reinstatement is examined.

“While sports wagering by college athletes is still a concern — particularly as we remain committed to preserving the integrity of competition in college sports — consideration of mitigating factors is appropriate as staff prescribe penalties for young people who have made mistakes in this space,” Ricker-Gilbert said.

Education and Eligibility Loss for Sports Betting

While the reinstatement guidelines are more lenient, punishments will still exist for athletes who are found engaging in sports betting. For all other instances of sports betting related violations, the NCAA will take into consideration the cumulative dollar values of the bets for potential reinstatement.

The betting dollar value and reinstatement terms are as follows:

• $200 or less: Sports wagering rules and prevention education.
• $201 to $500: Loss of 10% of a season of eligibility, plus rules and prevention education.
• $501 to $800: Loss of 20% of a season of eligibility, plus rules and prevention education.
• Greater than $800: Loss of 30% of a season of eligibility, plus rules and prevention education.

For anything that greatly exceeds $800, NCAA reinstatement staff will consider whether additional loss of eligibility, including permanent ineligibility, is warranted.