NCAA Proposal Would Allow Student Athletes to Bet on Pro Sports

A major reversal could come about this month if Divisions II and III take a similar stance to the NCAA Division I Administrative Committee at their meetings scheduled for the end of October and adopt a proposal to allow student athletes to wager on professional sports.

On Second Thought

Sports betting is omnipresent in our society, and people have been betting on football games long before it became legal in 39 states to do so. Betting on football is almost a part of Americana at this point, and college-aged kids are no different.

At least that is what the NCAA is finding out as its strict policy of no betting has its athletes breaking rules that are harming no one and jeopardizing their college careers. The NCAA has rethought its position and has recently adopted legislation that would permit its student-athletes and athletic department staff to bet on professional sports.

However, the rule must be approved by the lower divisions before it can go into effect on November 1st. It should be noted that betting on college sports will remain taboo.

“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.

Although the NCAA does not endorse betting, it has become clear that imposing rules that are at odds with cultural norms can be challenging for both enforcement and for the college athletes themselves.

Betting on a professional sports game will not affect the integrity of sports at the collegiate level.

Ads on Uniforms

Allowing ads on college uniforms is another radical idea the NCAA is considering.

With the advent of NIL and college programs paying their players, a new revenue stream is being sought, and this could lead to programs being allowed to accept advertising revenue for placement on team jerseys.

As of this moment, the only advertising on college jerseys is the name of the manufacturer, but those tags could soon have company if this most recent proposal is adopted.