The NCAA has announced revised guidelines for student-athletes caught gambling on other college sports at their own schools. Under the previous rules established in June, students who bet on their own sports or other sports at their schools faced permanent loss of eligibility. 

NCAA Reforms Penalties for Student-Athlete Gambling

This move comes after the Collegiate Commissioners Association raised concerns about the overly punitive nature of the previous penalties. The change in rules reflects a more balanced approach to address the prevalence of sports betting among college students while still maintaining the integrity of competition.

Under the new guidelines, student-athletes caught wagering on teams at their school, excluding their own team, will now face a one-season suspension and a loss of one year of eligibility. Additionally, they will be required to participate in sports wagering rules and prevention education as a condition of reinstatement. The decision was supported by the Division I Council Coordination Committee, which acknowledged the need to modify reinstatement conditions for specific cases involving sports betting.

Jon Steinbrecher, chair of the Council Coordination Committee and commissioner of the Mid-American Conference, said: “To be clear, Division I members do not encourage student-athletes to engage in sports wagering at any level, and the actions today to modify reinstatement conditions should not be interpreted as support for wagering behaviors.” 

New Rules Reflect Understanding of Student-Athlete Mistakes

The new rules aim to strike a balance between addressing the reality of widespread betting on college campuses and maintaining the integrity of collegiate sports. The penalties are designed to be more fitting for 2023, acknowledging that young athletes might make mistakes without necessarily jeopardizing their entire careers.

It is important to note that despite the adjustment in reinstatement guidelines, the NCAA continues to prohibit student-athletes, coaches, and athletics administrators from engaging in sports wagering in any sport sponsored by the NCAA, including collegiate and professional sports. The change in rules signals a step forward in reevaluating NCAA regulations related to sports wagering, with further discussions likely to follow on this evolving issue.

The updated decision might offer respite to a few athletes implicated in the betting controversies at Iowa and Iowa State. DeShawn Hanika, a tight end at ISU, was cited for betting solely on Iowa State basketball games and not football matches. Nevertheless, nine other football players from both Iowa and Iowa State universities still confront the prospect of losing their eligibility permanently due to their involvement in gambling on their own games.

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Amid the growth and expansion of legal sports wagering across the United States, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced its intentions to support changes to betting legislation, seeking to ensure the integrity of its competitions. Besides strengthening integrity, the proposals seek to raise awareness of problem gambling and protect student-athletes from coercion or harassment.

The NCAA acknowledged that there are currently 38 states that have implemented laws that legalize sports wagering. However, it said, that while some states offer complex rules for protecting of the athletes, others do not. This is why the Association surveyed student-athletes, seeking to improve the regulations and develop a model that it would propose to different states. The changes seek to protect the student-athletes, game officials, coaches, as well as other sports personnel, shielding them from betting-related harassment, problem gambling or malpractices related to integrity.

Ultimately, the NCAA said that it plans to collaborate with lawmakers to implement the changes across different states. It supports “mandatory reporting hotlines for gambling authorities to report such behavior to law enforcement,” as well as an increase of penalties for bettors that engage in harassment of student-athletes. Additionally, the Association proposes mandatory education for gambling operators that would enable them to identify harassment.

Further changes that would be proposed include ramped-up efforts against underage sports wagering. Additionally, the NCAA’s proposal calls for the inclusion of details about the harassment hotline and information on problem gambling within any sports betting advertisements. Last but not least, it said that revenue generated from betting should be dedicated to the education of students from higher-risk populations.

Changes to Protect and Educate Student-Athletes

Morgyn Wynne, the vice chair of the Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, revealed that currently, the well-being and health of student-athletes is of utmost importance. She added: “With the legalization of sports betting, it is imperative that we take a proactive approach to protecting student-athletes from the potential of negative engagement with bettors.” Finally, Wynne supported legislative changes that seek to prioritize the protection of student-athletes and safeguard them from harmful activities.

“The NCAA is making changes to help student-athletes make smart choices when it comes to sports betting, but given the explosive growth of this new industry, we are eager to partner with lawmakers, regulators and industry leaders to protect student-athletes from harassment and threats.“

Charlie Baker, president of the NCAA

Charlie Baker, NCAA’s president, revealed that the Association is collaborating with student-athletes to ensure they make smart choices when it comes to wagering. Still, he added that the NCAA is motivated to collaborate with regulators and lawmakers to ensure the protection of student-athletes. Baker spoke about the betting legislation in different states, saying that some offer protection but others need to do more.

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Yesterday, the NCAA released the findings of a new survey of campus compliance directors that inquired about the directors’ experience with sports betting-related issues. As it turns out, a concerning 27% of autonomy schools have dealt with sports betting problems among their athletes and staff.

The reported number marks a significant increase from 2019. To make matters worse, a similar percentage of autonomy conference compliance administrators said that athletes on their campus got harassed online by sports bettors.

The survey was commissioned by NCAA president Charlie Baker who wanted to see how campus administrators face betting trends and problems. Baker noted that, unfortunately, student-athletes are constantly subjected to harassment by bettors. At the same time, billion-dollar ad campaigns continue to target young people across the USA.

Because of these problems, Baker noted that his team will need help from regulators and sportsbooks to protect student-athletes from harassment, betting problems and match manipulations. He said that the data from the current survey will fuel the NCAA’s tools, helping the organization provide gambling education to young players.

Clint Hangebrauck, NCAA’s managing director of enterprise risk management, echoed Baker’s words, saying that the data will help the association develop educational tools.

Administrators Desire More Educational Resources

The NCAA noted that the survey targeted the senior compliance administrator from each Division I, II and III member school, to provide the NCAA with a better understanding of the underlying issues. Administered in July and August, the survey was completed by more than 500 respondents.

The survey confirmed that over 95% of Division I schools and a majority of Division II and III schools have at least some form of sports betting education for players, coaches and administrators. In addition to discussing NCAA bylaws, betting terms and gambling laws, many schools also address gambling problems and harm.

The NCAA noted that compliance administrators approved the association’s collaboration with EPIC Risk Management. Many of them also expressed their desire to receive more wagering resources from the NCAA. For reference, the national office staff is currently developing educational modules that will be available to administrators very soon.

The NCAA concluded that many schools also use monitoring services that allow them to identify suspicious patterns. Around a third of autonomy schools have an agreement with such service providers. Others, on the other hand, are getting access to such information through their conference office or the NCAA national office.

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The University of Iowa has announced that 11 of its current student-athletes are set to face NCAA eligibility impacts in the aftermath of a comprehensive sports wagering inquiry that spanned over three months. The Iowa athletics department unveiled the reinstatement “determinations” by the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement (SAR) staff in a press release on August 22.

Athletes Not Linked to Probe Await NCAA Verdict

While the identities of the affected athletes are yet to be disclosed, the university has clarified that the release of specifics will be contingent upon receiving consent from the individuals involved, as required by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The institution is striving to adhere to legal and ethical considerations while sharing information.

The NCAA had introduced revised guidelines earlier in the summer, outlining a spectrum of penalties ranging from mandatory sports wagering education to the potential forfeiture of collegiate eligibility for good. The consequences appear especially dire for current Iowa football players Aaron Blom, a kicker, and Jak Johnson, a wide receiver, both of whom face allegations of tampering with records and accusations of placing bets on their own team.

The gravity of the repercussions remains unclear for athletes not implicated in the ongoing criminal probe. Iowa’s interim athletics director, Beth Goetz, stated last week that while the prescribed penalties are widely known, the NCAA’s approach typically includes factoring in mitigating circumstances that could have contributed to the violations.

Iowa Universities Grapple with Gambling Scandal Fallout

The University of Iowa’s response to the NCAA’s decisions underscores its commitment to the well-being and rights of its student-athletes. The institution is firmly in favor of those individuals opting to appeal the SAR staff’s decisions. The university pledged to provide unwavering support to student-athletes pursuing the appeal process.

The ripple effects of the investigation have extended beyond the confines of Iowa City. Iowa State University is facing a similar gambling inquiry, with approximately 15 student-athletes reportedly under scrutiny. However, as of the most recent update, the school has not made any announcements concerning eligibility determinations.

Last week Iowa State University’s football program faced turmoil as starting defensive lineman Isaiah Lee departed amid an ongoing gambling investigation. Lee, accused of betting on Iowa State sports, including games involving his own team, potentially jeopardizes his athletic eligibility under NCAA regulations. The scandal has impacted other players, including quarterback Hunter Dekkers, prompting the university to collaborate with the NCAA to address eligibility concerns.

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NCAA President Charlie Baker raised some eyebrows when hinting that the association may get into the sports betting space to explore potential new revenue streams.

Entering the Sports Betting Space

Speaking at an event titled “The Future of College Sport” hosted in Washington, DC by the University of Arizona and its president, Robert C. Robbins, Baker hinted about plans to generate new income, including some controversial options such as monetizing sports betting partnerships, reported Forbes.

“We have a major opportunity to get into the sports betting space,” Baker said and went on to elaborate that this means entering a market comprising “anybody who has a phone” and can wager “from any place they want,” with “two-thirds to almost three-quarters of all people between the ages of 18 and 22 (currently) betting on sports.”

Hearing the new NCAA president speak about sports betting opportunities as potential revenue streams for college sports raised eyebrows in the room but Baker softened the blow by adding that the NCAA will come up with a program to address the issue of putting student-athletes in a very difficult position “if there are lots of kids on campus betting on college sports and betting on the teams on their campus.”

Ethical Issues Around Athletes

Baker also shared his expectation that the NCAA will “get everybody to endorse around (this program) helping them develop the tools and techniques (those involved with the issue are) going to need to deal with this stuff.”

And while he would not go into details about his strategy anytime soon, Baker hinted that other NCAA sports beginning with women’s basketball, and then women’s softball, baseball, volleyball, and other sports, will gradually be put “out to bid” individually.

“We dramatically underperform across a whole bunch of other revenue-raising opportunities,” Baker added, adamant that “those items are going to get a lot of attention … over the course of … the next four to six months.”

Baker failed to recognize the ethical quandary the NCAA creates for its athletes by not permitting them to “opt out” of having their performance data aggregated and sold to media and gambling companies as part of a leveraged package product.

On the contrary, he believes that athlete data is the main driving force behind growth in media and gambling contracts, pointing to professional sports and their union contracts as proof that athlete data should remain inseparable from the NCAA product, and it would not be him the leader who would ask the athletes about who should be able to access and sell their data or not.

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