NCAA Adopts More Lenient Policies For Sports Betting Violators

After a spring season that featured sports betting controversies at numerous colleges — including the University of Alabama, the University of Iowa, and Iowa State University — the NCAA on Wednesday announced a series of updated penalties for future wagering violations. 

Previously, the NCAA viewed betting violations on a case-by-case basis, but says previous guidance crafted prior to widespread legalization of mobile sports betting would often result in players who wagered on sports at any level to lose one full season of collegiate eligibility. The new guidelines, which aren’t as strict, went into effect for any violations reported on or after May 2.

The NCAA does not allow student-athletes or coaches to wager on NCAA-sponsored sports (baseball, basketball, football, etc.) at the college or professional level or share inside information with bettors. Those rules aren’t changing, but NCAA officials believe the new penalty system for athletes better acknowledges the proliferation of legalized sports betting in the U.S. 

“These new guidelines modernize penalties for college athletes at a time when sports wagering has been legalized in dozens of states and is easily accessible nationwide with online betting platforms,” Alex Ricker-Gilbert, athletic director at Jacksonville and chair of the NCAA’s DI Legislative Committee, said in a statement. 

Specific penalty guidelines

The NCAA plans to apply its strictest penalties to student-athletes who compromise the integrity of games. Any student-athlete who influences the outcome of games for betting purposes or provides information to bettors “will potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports,” reads the new regulation. This can extend to student-athletes wagering on other sports at their respective college. 

If an athlete places a bet on another school’s team in the same sport they participate in, they can face a suspension of up to 50% of one season of eligibility. They’ll also be required to attend educational sessions on the NCAA’s betting rules.

Penalties for other wagering violations, like betting on professional sports, depend on the cumulative dollar amount wagered. 

If an athlete bets $200 or less on professional sports, they’ll be required to be educated on the NCAA’s sports wagering rules but won’t lose eligibility. Total wagers of $201-500 can result in a 10% loss of a season’s eligibility. 

This represents a noticeable decrease in suspension length compared to previous rules, as Virginia Tech linebacker Alan Tisdale was suspended six games in 2022 (50% of his season) for placing about $400 worth of bets on NBA games, according to The Athletic. Under the new rules, Tisdale may have only been suspended for one game.

Wagering $501-800 can result in a 20% loss of a season’s worth of eligibility. Total wagers on professional sports over $800 can cost a student-athlete 30% of a season.

Athletes who violate NCAA rules by wagering well over $800 can be sentenced to greater penalties, including possible permanent ineligibility. Those suspensions depend largely on the amount wagered, as the penalty would likely be greater for someone who wagered $100,000 rather than $5,000.

“While sports wagering by college athletes is still a concern — particularly as we remain committed to preserving the integrity of competition in college sports — consideration of mitigating factors is appropriate as staff prescribe penalties for young people who have made mistakes in this space,” Ricker-Gilbert said.