The NCAA approved a rule allowing college athletes and athletic department staff to wager on professional sports, with the change due to take effect at the beginning of November. The rule leaves the ban on betting on college competitions and sharing inside information in place, the NCAA said.
The change alters wagering rules for college athletes and staff while retaining restrictions tied to college-sports integrity.
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The NCAA Division I Administrative Committee approved a proposal allowing college athletes and athletic department staff to bet on professional sports. The change still requires approval from Division II and III committees and would take effect on 1 November if all divisions agree; betting on college sports would remain prohibited.
An NCAA Division I committee approved a proposal on 8 October to allow student-athletes and athletics department staff to bet on professional sports, while keeping the ban on college-sports wagers. The change requires approval at Division II and III levels and would take effect on 1 November if ratified; Charles Barkley criticised the proposal in comments to a news site.
The Big Ten Student-Athlete Issues Commission wrote to NCAA President Charlie Baker urging action against proposition bets on college sports. The commission said such wagers expose athletes to pressure and harassment and could raise concerns about competition integrity. Baker has separately asked regulators to restrict or eliminate college prop bets, the report said.
NCAA Division I member schools voted to rescind a previously approved rule that would have allowed student-athletes and athletics department staff to bet on professional sports. The change will not proceed, leaving the ban in place across all three NCAA divisions under the association’s common-legislation rules.
The NCAA Division I Administrative Committee approved a proposal to allow student-athletes to wager on professional sports, according to the report. Divisions II and III must also approve the change, which could take effect on 1 November 2025 if ratified. The NCAA said concerns about gambling risks remain, with match-fixing in college sports a central focus.