Thought to be going into effect on Nov. 22, 2025, the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) ruled that student-athletes, coaches, and athletic staff alike are still not allowed to place bets and legally gamble on professional sports.
The NCAA struck down the ruling after pushback from university officials. The majority of Division I schools voted against this decision, and the proposal did not go into effect, so as of now, gambling on professional sports in college is strictly prohibited.
On Oct. 8, the NCAA approved the rule change, which was originally supposed to go into effect on Nov. 1. However, on Oct. 29, they delayed the ruling and pushed the date back to Nov. 22. This delay allows for each Division I NCAA school to vote on the ruling, and if less than 75% of the schools approve of the proposal, it would not go into effect.
This ruling is coming out in light of the recent gambling scandal going on in the NBA, with players and coaches being indicted on illegal underground gambling rings backed up by the mafia, as well as betting on their own games. Also, Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase was just recently indicted on charges that include him betting on his own games and his own pitches.
There have been some responses to this ruling though, with Southeastern Conference (SEC) commissioner Greg Sankey sending a harsh and direct letter to NCAA president Charlie Baker that heavily discouraged this change. The letter stated: “The message of our Presidents and Chancellors was clear and united: this policy change represents a major step in the wrong direction.”
The United States Supreme Court is requesting a review of the ruling, and will be examining the change as well.
“Nowadays it’s very easy for athletes to try to bet or try to gamble on a variety of different things…It’s trickling down to the NCAA as you can see. There could be some different ways in which it’s going to be very tricky to keep everything under wraps,” said business teacher and football coach Cory Raupers.
This ruling will have a tremendous influence on the student-athletes of State High who will be competing at the collegiate level next year or in the next couple of years.
“Hopefully, we do a good job of teaching them the dos and don’ts, making sure that you know what you’re able to do, if you were to gamble…if that’s what you choose to do,” Raupers said. “We have to make sure that we teach our students here also when they get off to that next level as they have that education, here’s what you can do, and here’s what you can’t do, and talk about the different things on that.”
Freshman baseball player Nate Tyndall also spoke to the situation.
“Our school and district needs to use its resources to help and support our student-athletes to tell them what to do and what not to do when they go off to college,” Tyndall said.
Gambling is still illegal in all shapes and forms in the NCAA, and will be that way for a while.
