NCAA forms betting study committee
Collegiate association aims to preserve integrity of collegiate events
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is to study how legalised sports betting could impact the welfare of college athletes and the integrity of its games.
In meetings on Friday, the NCAA board of governors voted overwhelmingly to establish the ‘Ad Hoc Committee on Sports Wagering’ which will study the impact on NCAA rules, player conduct and potential educational efforts to discourage problem gambling by athletes.
Under current NCAA rules, student athletes and other employees within the collegiate athletics world including coaches are barred from placing bets on sports, with any violators subject to stiff NCAA penalties.
G.P Peterson, chair of the NCAA board of governors, said: “The NCAA and its members continue to take a thoughtful approach to the issue of sports wagering”.
The NCAA had previously been a strong advocate against the repeal of PASPA by the Supreme Court. However, following the victory of New Jersey and its supporters in May, it confirmed its support for a federal sports betting framework as a way of preserving the integrity of the sport.
As part of this change, the NCAA suspended its long-standing policy of prohibiting betting on championship events in those states which had legalised sports betting.
Peterson added: “The core values of protecting student-athlete well-being and the integrity of competition are at the heart of these efforts. We must continue to evolve and adapt our approach as the landscape continues to change and sports wagering expands in the United States.”
In addition, the NCAA’s Sport Science Institute will hold a sports wagering and well-being summit in March 2019 aimed at identifying tools and initiatives to address problem gambling among college students.