The NCAA's proposed rule change to let Division I student-athletes and athletic department staff bet on professional sports faces a long battle.
Already, it's facing pushback from various industry veterans.
Key takeaways
- An NCAA proposal to allow Division I athletes to bet on pro sports raises concerns.
- Genius Sports deal bans college prop bets for sportsbooks wanting access to NCAA data.
- Over 3,000 abusive posts during March Madness triggered reports, removals, or law enforcement action.
Opponents argue the new rule could encourage gaming habits among young athletes and exacerbate already present problems, including gambling addiction and financial irresponsibility.
In addition, state-level legalization is still patchy, which will drive non-legal state athletes into offshore or illegal markets.
The proposal transforms the current blanket ban. However, betting on college athletics, particularly one's own, is still entirely off-limits. Infractions in that area might still result in lifetime bans and other penalties.
If enacted, the rule change takes effect in October. Divisions II and III would also have to approve it in order to implement it on a large scale.
The action is a sign of increasing NCAA acceptance of the new reality of legal sports betting, where gambling on pro sports leagues is something of a norm.
NCAA-Genius Sports deal reinforces prop bet prohibition
As part of its continued effort to crack down on player-level prop wagering in college sports, the NCAA re-upped and broadened its partnership with Genius Sports.
The two organizations announced the new collaboration in April. It extends through the 2031–32 championship cycle and lets Genius provide approved sportsbooks with official real-time information from NCAA championship games, including March Madness.
While the previous deal with Genius didn't involve data sharing with casino operators, this new agreement eliminates that ban. Sportsbooks that want to enjoy premium access to NCAA data must eliminate player-specific prop wagers to gain a license.
The provision is meant to solve integrity concerns related to betting on individual players' performances. Though no financial terms were released, Genius and the NCAA will receive revenue through sportsbook licensing.
NCAA shows online harassment during March Madness
A recent NCAA report revealed the extent of online abuse targeted at Division I men's and women's basketball players throughout the tournaments. The research, conducted in collaboration with social monitoring agency Signify, tracked public posts on major social media platforms.
Researchers monitored more than a million posts. AI identified 54,096 as likely to be abusive or threatening, and human evaluators confirmed 3,161 posts as passing abuse thresholds.
Signify's Threat Matrix service conducted 103 in-depth investigations and referred 10 extreme cases to law enforcement. In the majority of those, perpetrators' accounts were restricted or had abusive content removed.
The findings highlight the inherent tension between maximizing fan engagement and safeguarding athletes' health. Still, the NCAA said minimizing digital abuse is a strategic priority.
