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The NCAA Division I Administrative Committee has adopted a recommendation that would bring a significant change to its sports betting policy for student-athletes and athletics department staff members, the organization announced Wednesday, Oct. 8.
The change would allow for student-athletes and athletics department staff members to bet on professional sports. It would not change the NCAA prohibiting student-athletes and athletics department staff members from making bets or sharing information with bettors on college sports.
There remains some redlining to be figured out before the change goes into effect, as it needs approval from Divisions II and III. If approved at their respective meetings at the end of the month, the rule change would go into action on Nov. 1, per the NCAA’s news release.
The recommendation by the NCAA comes one day after the committee adopted a new 15-day window in January that college football players can enter the transfer portal. The 15-day window would run from Jan. 2-16, and still needs approval.
“The Administrative Committee was clear in its discussion today that it remains concerned about the risks associated with all forms of sports gambling but ultimately voted to reduce restrictions on student-athletes in this area to better align with their campus peers,” Illinois athletic director and chair of the Division I Administrative Committee Josh Whitman said in a statement.
“This change allows the NCAA, the conferences, and the member schools to focus on protecting the integrity of college games while, at the same time, encouraging healthy habits for student-athletes who choose to engage in betting activities on professional sports.”
The change to the NCAA’s gambling policy for professional sports was requested by the Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee to keep in alignment with the “continued and enhanced education and support for college athletes to prevent problem gambling among student-athletes.”
The change also comes as investigations into sports betting violations from different member schools in the country continue by different NCAA enforcement staff’s.
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