NCAA Reverses Course: Student-Athletes Will Not Be Allowed To Bet On Professional Sports

In a clear signal of disapproval, NCAA Division I member schools made a decisive reversal and voted by a two-thirds majority to rescind a previously approved rule change that would have allowed student-athletes and athletics staff members to wager and place bets on professional sports. The proposal, which the Division I Council introduced in October and was set to take effect on November 22, 2025, had sparked an immediate backlash across the sports, media, and entertainment industries, ultimately leading to its repeal after a 30-day review period. More than 240 Division I schools voted to rescind the rule change, ensuring that the current ban on all forms of sports betting would remain in place.

Critics of the proposed rule change argued that the plan posed serious risks to the integrity of both college and professional sports. They contended that allowing athletes to bet on professional leagues that they aspired to join could create conflicts of interest, especially given their relationships with scouts, future teammates, and coaches. Access to insider information, whether intentional or inadvertent, could compromise competitions and expose athletes to legal and ethical pitfalls.

The timing of the gambling initiative raised eyebrows. It came amid peak seasons for college and professional football, basketball, and hockey, and against the backdrop of a booming multi-billion-dollar sports betting industry now legal in more than half of our country's states nationwide. With billions of dollars at stake, concerns mounted that the NCAA's motives were tied to potential sponsorships and advertising revenue rather than student-athlete well-being.

Opposition to the initial proposal was swift and strong. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey called the proposal a “major step in the wrong direction” in a letter to the NCAA urging an immediate reversal. The letter further stated that, “the simple act of participating in gambling normalizes behavior, blurs boundaries and erodes judgment.” His stance reflected a broader consensus among conference leaders who viewed the measure as a threat to competitive integrity.

Recent gambling scandals only intensified these concerns, and the NCAA's timing could not have been worse. Just days after its initiative was announced in October, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was charged in a federal gambling investigation for allegedly sharing insider information and manipulating his performance in NBA games, while Portland Trail Blazers Head Coach Chauncey Billups faced charges tied to a Mafia-linked poker scheme. Shortly thereafter, Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were indicted on charges including wire fraud and conspiracy to influence sporting contests. Further adding to the recent emerging controversies, the NCAA recently revoked the eligibility of six men's basketball players for betting violations, including allegations of placing dozens of wagers on games involving their own teams.

These matters underscore the potential vulnerability of student-athletes, who often lack not only financial maturity but also the life experience and reasonable judgment needed to manage high stakes betting responsibly. While the NCAA framed its proposal as part of a broader educational initiative on gambling risks, critics pointed to the irony of an organization seeking to profit from the growing sports betting industry, while simultaneously preaching restraint and self-control to its student-athletes.

Ultimately, the NCAA membership voted to protect student-athletes and preserve the integrity of competition. The initiative was struck down by more than the two-thirds of DI members that was needed to stop the rule change from happening, reaffirming the principle that college sports should remain protected from the growing negative influence of legalized gambling for college athletes.

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