- NCAA considers lifting ban on pro sports betting
- Betting on college sports to remain prohibited
- NCAA to share stats and insights with licensed sportsbooks
A big change could be on the way with the NCAA’s sports betting policy on allowing student-athletes to bet on sports. A potential rule change is in the works that would allow student-athletes, coaches, and staff members to be able to wager on professional sports.
The news comes as the NCAA Division I Board of Directors approved the basis of a rule change by a vote of 21-1 last month. The final decision falls to the Division I Council to be further discussed next week. Formal changes to the NCAA sports betting policy would be made later this year but could be done as soon as the end of June.
“This is a cultural and philosophical recalibration for college athletics, both in terms of priorities and resources,” said Matt Banker, a college athletics consultant with MB Sports Consulting during an interview with Sports Illustrated.
“This is a cultural and philosophical recalibration for college athletics, both in terms of priorities and resources.” — Matt Banker, college athletics consultant with MB Sports Consulting
NCAA Sports Betting Policy
The current NCAA sports betting rules ban student-athletes from betting on both college and pro sports. Penalties for violating the rule can range from education sessions, to varied suspensions, to a permanent loss of eligibility if found to be betting on your own sport or other sports at your school.
For violations involving pro sports the penalties are as follows:
- Bets totaling $200 or less would require education and awareness training
- Bets totaling $201-$500 could equal a 10% loss of season eligibility plus additional training
- Bets totaling $501-$800 could equal a 30% loss of season eligibility plus additional training
The ban on pro sports betting includes all sports that the NCAA offers including football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, golf, and tennis.
NCAA Expands Partnership with Genius Sports
The loosening of sports betting rules for student-athletes isn’t the only recent news that sees the NCAA warming up to gambling.
Last month the NCAA expanded their partnership with Genius Sports Limited through 2032. Genius Sports has been a partner of the NCAA since 2018 and provides NCAA LiveStats, the official platform for live game stats across more than 70,000 college sports events each year.
“This extension is a powerful endorsement of our vision, delivering cutting-edge data solutions to support NCAA schools while connecting our sportsbook partners with the highest quality NCAA official content, alongside our exclusive NFL and Premier League rights,” said Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports in a company press release.
“This extension is a powerful endorsement of our vision, delivering cutting-edge data solutions to support NCAA schools while connecting our sportsbook partners with the highest quality NCAA official content, alongside our exclusive NFL and Premier League rights.” — Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports
The expanded partnership sees Genius Sports becoming the official distributor of NCAA data to licensed sportsbooks for every NCAA post-season tournament.
Genius Sports will launch the brand new GeniusIQ, an advanced next-generation AI platform. GeniusIQ will provide real-time stats, analytics, and insights to coaches and sportsbooks, plus interactive tools for fans.
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