Athletes and athletic department staff at NCAA schools will not be allowed to bet on professional sports after the organization’s membership voted Friday to rescind a rule change that would have permitted such wagers.
The move follows a string of high-profile gambling cases that have raised questions about the integrity of competition in pro and college sports.
In late October, an NBA coach and player were arrested in a takedown of two sprawling gambling operations, with Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was accused of exploiting private information about players to win bets on games in the league. Last week, Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and and Luis Ortiz, on nondisciplinary paid leave since late July, pleaded not guilty to charges that they took bribes to help gamblers win bets on their pitches in MLB games.
In addition, the NCAA announced two weeks ago that it was revoking the eligibility of six men’s basketball players related to allegations of sports betting. And on Friday, the NCAA said former Temple University basketball player Hysier Miller placed dozens of wagers on his own team’s games, including some bets that the team would lose.
The NCAA’s rule change to allow gambling on pro sports would have taken effect on Nov. 1, but under a rarely used rule, each Division I school had 30 days to vote to rescind the proposal because it was adopted by less than 75% of the D-I cabinet.
More than two-thirds of D-I members needed to vote to stop the rule change, and that number was reached Friday. The 30-day period would have ended Saturday.
Even if the rule had passed, athletes and athletic department staff would have continued to be banned from any betting on NCAA events.