Sir Charles Believes College Athletes Should be Banned From Betting

NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has publicly decried the NCAA’s changing policy concerning student-athletes betting on professional sports. Currently, the policy does not allow it, but with the mainstream acceptance of sports betting throughout the nation, the NCAA has hinted that its sports betting policy must change with the times.

Barkley Dunks on NCAA

Charles Barkley is an NBA legend and also made history at his alma mater, Auburn, where his number 34 jersey was retired by the university in 2001. And it was there, at Auburn University’s Bruce, Barkley & Basketball Golf Classic on Monday, where the Round Mound of Rebound made his feelings crystal clear regarding the NCAA’s possible policy change, allowing student-athletes to wager on pro, although not college, sports.

“Anybody who thinks that’s a good idea should have their head examined,” Barkley said.

Barkley was just getting started and added, “But I saw something last week that let me know we need to do something about the NCAA, where they announced they’re going to let college players bet on pro sports. If that’s not the stupidest sh*t. You talk about putting your kids in the kitchen and turning the stove on. Like, when I heard that, I said: ‘This has got to be a joke.’

“I mean, these are the people we have running college sports right now, and we want to know why it’s a sh*t show. Anybody that think that’s a good idea should have their head examined. Why would you even do that if you’re the NCAA? Are you serious right now? … We already have issues with kids gambling now, when they shouldn’t be gambling. This is just crazy,” Barkley incredulously opined.

Waiting for Approval

Despite its controversial shift in allowing college athletes and athletic department staff to bet on pro sports, the measure still needs to be approved at the Division 2 and Division 3 levels. The change is expected to be voted on shortly, and if approved, it would go into effect on November 1st of this year.

“Enforcement staff are investigating a significant number of cases that are specifically relevant to the NCAA’s mission of fair competition, and our focus will remain on those cases and those behaviors that impact the integrity of college sports most directly,” Jon Duncan, NCAA vice president of enforcement, said in a release announcing the proposed rule change.

NCAA Committee Reconsiders Advertising on Game Jerseys

An NCAA committee is also considering reversing course on barring advertising on game jerseys. In an effort to claw back some of the money it now spends on student athletes, there is a movement afoot to generate income by charging advertising fees on game jerseys.

“The committee’s introduction of this proposal demonstrates the continued efforts by the NCAA to modernize rules where appropriate within Division I,” said Josh Whitman, athletic director at Illinois and chair of the committee. “As we move into a new era of Division I athletics, in which student-athletes can receive unprecedented financial benefits and support from their schools, it is appropriate for NCAA members to identify and consider additional opportunities for schools to generate additional revenue to fully support those benefits.”