NCAA to Push for End of Prop Bets on College Athletes, Cites Threats, Harassment
The NCAA wants to end prop bets on college athletes amid the rise of harassment they are being subjected to.
In a statement from NCAA president Charlie Baker, the organization is contacting officials from states across the United States that permit prop bets on college athletes and ask them to be removed from all betting markets in order to "protect student-athletes and to protect the integrity of the game—issues across the country these last several days show there is more work to be done."
Prop bets allow fans to wager on things ranging from points, rebounds, blocks and/or assists in a basketball game to yards, pass attempts, completions, receptions, rushing attempts and/or touchdowns in a football game.
Sports betting is legal in 38 states and Washington D.C., but prop bets on college sports is banned in most places.
Per the Action Network, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan and Wyoming are the only states that allow prop betting on college athletics. Washington D.C. also has no restrictions on it.
Seven states allow some prop betting, but with restrictions. Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Rhode Island don't allow prop bets for teams based in their state. Indiana only allows for prop betting before games begin.
The Action Network noted several states outlawed player prop betting involving college athletes in 2024 due in part to several college betting scandals in the past few years.
One of the most notable scandals involved Alabama's baseball team and former head coach Brad Bohannon. He received a five-year suspension as part of a 15-year show-cause order from the NCAA after it was determined he provided information about an injury to his starting pitcher to a bettor prior to a game against LSU in April 2023.
The bettor attempted to place a $100,000 wager on the game, but he was limited to $15,000 by the sportsbook, which prevented from placing additional bets due to suspicious activity. Bohannon was fired by Alabama on May 4, 2023.
Prior to the start of the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments last week, the American Gaming Association estimated $2.72 billion in legal wagers were expected to be made.
