SEC wants NCAA to restore gambling ban for college athletes

Greg Sankey and the SEC are urging the NCAA to reinstate its gambling ban on college athletes, citing integrity risks.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is leading the charge to urge the NCAA to reconsider its decision to allow college athletes and staff to bet on professional sports. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Southeastern Conference is pushing back against a major change in college athletics. In a memo sent to the NCAA last week, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey urged the association to reverse its recent decision allowing college athletes and athletic department staff to bet on professional sports. Sankey called the policy shift “a major step in the wrong direction,” warning it threatens the integrity of competition and exposes athletes to greater risks.

The letter followed an Oct. 13 meeting of SEC presidents and chancellors, where Sankey wrote the group was “clear and united” in opposing the NCAA’s decision. The league argues that any reform to gambling policies should involve “careful refinement” rather than the removal of “guardrails” that have long separated college athletics from wagering. Sankey’s letter urged the NCAA Division I Board of Directors to reconsider before the change officially takes effect.

The board, which includes 16 members led primarily by university presidents, is expected to revisit the issue during its Tuesday meeting. Among them is Ole Miss chancellor Glenn Boyce, who represents the SEC on the board. The outcome of that discussion could determine whether the NCAA proceeds with its new betting policy as planned.

Greg Sankey Cites Integrity And Athlete Vulnerability In SEC Letter

In the two-page memo, Greg Sankey emphasized that gambling activity by athletes, even on professional sports, “normalizes behavior, blurs boundaries, and erodes judgment.” He wrote that when athletes gain access to gambling, “what might begin as casual betting can quickly spiral into something far more serious.” The SEC’s position is that the NCAA should restore its previous prohibition or adopt a modified version that maintains a ban on all forms of sports wagering by student-athletes and staff.

Sankey also referenced recent gambling scandals in professional sports as evidence of the risks involved. He pointed to NBA investigations as proof that even leagues with strict monitoring systems are vulnerable. “It is foreseeable that college athletes, with far fewer resources and far greater outside influence, can be involved in compromising circumstances,” Sankey wrote. The SEC argues that athletes’ exposure to betting platforms and social pressure makes them more susceptible to manipulation.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is urging the NCAA to reconsider its ruling to allow college athletes and staff to bet on pro sports. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

The NCAA’s decision to allow betting on professional sports has drawn sharp criticism from across the college landscape. Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi called it “the stupidest decision I’ve ever seen,” and Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor questioned, “What are we thinking? This makes no sense to me.” Despite the opposition, NCAA officials said the change was intended to align athletes with their peers on campus while maintaining restrictions on betting related to college sports.

The NCAA Division I Board of Directors will discuss the policy during its scheduled meeting Tuesday, where the SEC hopes the group will move to reinstate the gambling ban.