INDIANAPOLIS (AP) 鈥 The NCAA is considering a proposal that would allow athletes and staff members to bet on professional sports and shift enforcement efforts to college sports betting and 鈥渂ehaviors that directly impact game integrity.鈥
The Division I Council that will be considered this fall and be implemented if Divisions II and III officials also approve.
The NCAA would still bar betting on college sports and sharing information about college events with bettors. Advertising and sponsorships associated with betting are also not allowed at NCAA championship events.
The shift comes as the organization grapples with the growth of legalized gambling across the United States. NCAA President Charlie Baker and other college sports leaders have raised concerns about gamblers attacking athletes on social media for their play and there have been , including some against programs
The NCAA said Wednesday that 鈥渟everal sports betting-related violations by staff members at NCAA schools鈥 have been resolved in recent years and noted its enforcement staff is working on issuing notices of allegations in several ongoing gambling cases.
Still, the NCAA has acknowledged the challenges in barring adult athletes at hundreds of schools from gambling on pro sports. Two years ago, it made reinstatement policies and the NCAA has a multi-year partnership with Genius Sports, which distributes official NCAA data to licensed sportsbooks, an arrangement that bars negative prop bets.
鈥淣CAA rules prohibiting sports betting at all levels were written and adopted at a time when sports gambling was largely illegal nationwide,鈥 said Josh Whitman, athletics director at Illinois and council chairman. 鈥淎s betting on sports has become more widely accepted across the country, Division I members have determined that further discussion of these sports betting rules is warranted, particularly as it relates to the potential distinctions between betting on professional vs. collegiate sports.鈥
Current NCAA rules do not allow athletes or institutional staff to engage in sports betting for any sports that have NCAA championships; bets by an athlete on their own team or own sport risks a lifetime ban from college athletics.
鈥淭he enforcement staff鈥檚 sports betting-related caseload has significantly increased in recent years, and our staff 鈥 including our new sports betting integrity unit 鈥 has been effective in detecting and pursuing violations,鈥 said Jon Duncan, NCAA vice president of enforcement.
Dr. Deena Casiero, the NCAA's chief medical officer, said allowing pro sports betting may be more effective and realistic than an 鈥渁bstinence-only鈥 approach, clearing the way for education and better understanding of the risks.
鈥淏y meeting student-athletes where they are, schools may be more effective at preventing, identifying and supporting student-athletes with problematic gambling behaviors," Casiero said.
In other NCAA moves, the Division I Board of Directors this week formally adopted roster limits for NCAA sports as part of the $2.8 billion House settlement that also allows revenue-sharing and schools to award as many scholarships as they wish within the roster caps.
Also this week, the Division I Council:
鈥 Endorsed a recommended cap of 32 regular-season games in both men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball beginning with the 2026-27 season. Critics include early-season tournament organizers who say the change could result in .
鈥 Introduced a proposal to add to the emerging sports for women program. Flag football has grown rapidly in popularity and will make at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
鈥 Adopted scheduling flexibility changes allowing Football Championship Subdivision programs to compete in every year, starting in 2026.
鈥 Voted to introduce proposals that, if also supported by Divisions II and III, would establish NCAA championships for as early as spring 2027. The sports have
鈥 Voted to separate the scoring at the fencing championships to recognize winning teams in both men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 fencing. Currently, women鈥檚-only teams are statistically unable to win the national championship under the existing scoring format. The change also needs backing by Divisions II and III.
