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NCAA approves new gambling rule for college athletes and staff

The NCAA moved Wednesday to relax a long-standing gambling restriction.
Patrick Previty|
NCAA logo flag
NCAA logo flag | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The NCAA moved Wednesday to relax a long-standing gambling restriction, with Division I adopting a proposal that would allow student-athletes and athletics department staff to wager on professional sports while continuing to ban any betting on college events. The change is not yet final as Divisions II and III are expected to take up the measure later this month, and if they also approve, the new rule would take effect Nov. 1.

The shift represents a significant break from NCAA policy that has historically prohibited athletes from betting on any NCAA-sponsored sport, professional or collegiate. In announcing the move, the Division I Administrative Committee framed the change as a harm-reduction approach that aligns athletes with their campus peers amid the widespread legalization of sports wagering.

Under the proposal, betting on college sports remains off-limits, as does sharing inside information about college competitions. The NCAA also said its ban on sports-betting advertising and sponsorships at NCAA championships is unchanged. Conferences and individual schools would retain the authority to impose stricter limits if they choose.

The NCAA has increasingly grappled with wagering cases and the Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee supported the change.

The NCAA pointed to a recent uptick in enforcement actions tied to betting on college games. In September, the association said a Fresno State men's basketball player manipulated his own performance and conspired with two others in a prop-betting scheme; it also disclosed active cases involving 13 additional student-athletes from six schools related to sports-wagering violations. The NCAA says it monitors more than 22,000 contests annually for irregularities.

If approved across all divisions, athletes and staff would be permitted to bet on professional sports where it is legal to do so under state law and applicable institutional policies. They would remain barred from betting on college sports, providing inside information, or engaging in any behavior that compromises the integrity of college competition. The NCAA said its enforcement priority will continue to be cases that directly impact the fairness of college sports.

For a college-football landscape navigating both NIL and an expanded playoff, Wednesday's action is another marker of rapid change. The framework still hinges on Divisions II and III, but if finalized, the NCAA's focus will shift more squarely toward policing conduct that threatens the core of its product while permitting legal pro-sports wagering by athletes and staff under guardrails.

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Patrick Previty
PATRICK PREVITY

In addition to writing for On SI, Patrick is also a site expert for Canes Warning and has previously written for outlets such as Betsided, Orlando Magic Daily and Southbound and Down. He serves as a sideline reporter for ESPN+, covering UCF athletics and the Big 12 Conference. In 2024, he hosted a live, on-site UCF football pregame show that aired on ESPN+. Patrick has interviewed numerous figures in the college sports world, ranging from players to UCF’s athletic director. Recently, he traveled to Mobile, Ala., to cover the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl, where he spoke with multiple NFL Draft prospects. Patrick also hosts coverage of the Orlando Magic for Digest Media on YouTube and has become one of the leading voices on the team in the region. Patrick also helps run the social media department for The Voice of College Football Network, focusing on breaking news and digital storytelling. Patrick previously spent time at CNN in the sports department, where he assisted with CNN’s World Sport show and Bleacher Report updates for morning programming. Hailing from the Tampa Bay Area, Patrick is a lifelong fan of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Lightning, Orlando Magic and UCF Knights.

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