The NCAA prohibits athletes and athletic staff from betting on any professional or collegiate sport that is sponsored by the NCAA.[1] In early October, the NCAA Division I Administrative Committee adopted a proposal that would alter this rule, allowing student-athletes and athletic department staff to bet on professional sports.[2] This proposal was then approved by the management councils of Divisions II and III, allowing the new rule to go into effect November 1.[3]
Shortly thereafter, however, the NCAA voted to rescind the rule change that would allow betting on professional sports.[4] Athletes and athletic department staff now will not be allowed to bet on professional sports, keeping the long-standing policy against betting. This revocation follows a string of high-profile gambling cases in the NBA, which has raised many questions about the integrity of competition in college and professional sports. This includes the college basketball scandal that resulted in the permanent ineligibility of three mens basketball players from San Jose State and Fresno State after they bet on their own games.[5] There are also investigations of other college basketball players for instances similar to the San Jose State and Fresno State athletes.[6]
While the rule was set to take effect November 1, there is a rarely used rule that allows each Division I school thirty days to vote to rescind the proposal if the proposal was adopted by less than 75% of the Division I cabinet.[7] Two-thirds of Division I members needed to vote to stop the rule change, and the two-thirds requirement was met prior to the end of this thirty day period, thereby rescinding the rule change.[8] This decision also applies to Divisions II and III, continuing the ban across all three levels.
Rescinding this rule change was the right thing to do in the current state of athletics. With gambling scandals occurring at both the professional and collegiate level, it is best to remove the risk from collegiate athletics. There is a close connection between collegiate and professional athletics, which means college athletes may have access to information that could give them and others an advantage when betting on professional sports.
[1] David Purdum, NCAA closer to letting Division I athletes bet on pro sports, ESPN (October 8, 2025).
[2] Id.
[3] Associated Press, NCAA allows athletes to bet on pro sports starting November 1, ESPN (October 22, 2025).
[4] ESPN News Services, NCAA votes to rescind rule change allowing bets on pro sports, ESPN (November 21, 2025).
[5] San Jose State and Fresno State Basketball Players Permanently Ineligible for Betting on their Own Games
[6] From Courtside to Courts: NCAA Gambling Crisis Widens
[7] Id. Supra note 4.
[8] Id.
Leave a Reply