NCAA council recommends allowing college athletes to bet on pro sports

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The Division I Council for the National Collegiate Athletic Association has voted to recommend that Division I athletes and staff be permitted to bet on professional sports events.

The position is similar to the stance the NCAA Division I Board of Directors took after holding a videoconference in April.

There are still more groups that need to approve the recommendation before it can take effect. Governing bodies representing Division II and III athletes and staff must approve the move when they meet later this summer.

The Council also must move to adopt the recommendation when they meet this coming October formally.

The current NCAA rule says that athletes and staff cannot “knowingly participate in sports wagering activities or provide information to individuals involved in or associated with any type of sports wagering activities concerning intercollegiate, amateur or professional athletics competition.”

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Division I Council chairman Josh Whitman believes the rule is from a bygone era.

“NCAA rules prohibiting sports betting at all levels were written and adopted at a time when sports gambling was largely illegal nationwide,” he said.

The announcement also said that under this new recommendation, betting on college sports would still be banned for college athletes and staff members.

In May, the NCAA also revealed it would protect its athletes from negative prop bets through its extended partnership with sports data analyst Genius Sports.

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