Not everyone in college sports is trumpeting the NCAA’s latest gambling policy change.
Key Takeaways
- SEC commissioner Greg Sankey asked the NCAA to rethink allowing athletes to bet on pro sports.
- The NCAA Division I Board of Directors will meet on Tuesday.
- Pat Narduzzi calls the NCAA’s policy change “one of the stupidest decisions I’ve ever seen.”
Following the NCAA's decision last week to allow collegiate athletes to bet on professional sports without penalty, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has asked the governing body to overturn the ruling.
Sankey sent a two-page letter to the NCAA, stating concerns over integrity, vulnerability to exploitation, and “serious” gambling issues, according to Yahoo Sports.
“The SEC’s Presidents and Chancellors believe the NCAA should restore its prior policy - or a modified policy - communicating a prohibition on gambling by student-athletes and athletics staff, regardless of the divisional level of their sport,” Sankey wrote in the letter obtained by Yahoo Sports.
Sankey said there should be “careful refinement” of the sports betting policy, not a “wholesale removal of the guardrails.”
Not so fast?
The removal of the sports betting ban was officially approved Oct. 22, but it does not allow wagering on college athletics or giving out information to aid betting. The new policy goes into effect Nov. 1.
The Division I Board of Directors is reportedly expected to discuss the gambling policy during their regularly scheduled Tuesday meeting, so it remains to be seen if that implementation date is set in stone.
The NCAA has dealt with multiple instances of players and employees betting on pro sports. However, the NCAA is in the middle of a betting investigation that extends to a federal probe as well. A group of former Eastern Michigan players recently refused to cooperate with the NCAA.
‘Stupidest decisions’
Sankey isn’t alone in his opinion. Pittsburgh football coach Pat Narduzzi strongly spoke out against the NCAA’s new policy this week.
“It's absolutely one of the stupidest decisions I've ever seen," Narduzzi said. "First of all, it's a habit. It's no different than smoking, drinking, doing drugs, it's a bad habit. I don't think anyone here encourages you guys to go out drinking and getting smashed on a Friday night or Saturday night, or at a ball game.”
The Pitt coach is concerned this could become a larger issue with the removal of the ban, and that players could say they accidentally clicked on a college football game instead of an NFL game.
“I just think it’s not good,” Narduzzi said.
Narduzzi, who said he is not a gambler or addicted to anything, said that he would address the policy change with his team on Tuesday and referred to the latest NBA scandal involving Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups.
Availability report angst
Narduzzi also questioned his own conference’s injury reporting policy, which he says provides gamblers with information.
The ACC instituted a thrice-per-week availability report this season, much like the SEC and other leagues currently use. Teams are required to list players as probable, questionable, doubtful, or out of games on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before kickoff.
“It's a bad deal,” Narduzzi said. “It all probably comes down to not wanting to deal with all the business that goes with trying to monitor it.”
