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The NCAA is one step closer to allowing student-athletes be able to place wagers on professional sports teams, which could go into effect on Nov. 1.
The proposal needs to be adopted by Divisions II and III after the Division I Administrative Committee voted in favor of the rule change last week.
That would certainly change the landscape for student-athletes and schools across the New Jersey. PlayNJ reached out to Rutgers and Princeton to discuss the new potential rules but did not receive an immediate response.
Why NCAA is changing wagering rule
The NCAA has not let student-athletes bet on sports since New Jersey sports betting became legal in 2018. Even with the change, players will still not be allowed to wager on college athletics.
So why let college athletes place any wagers on sports? Abstinence doesn’t always work, according to Dr. Deena Casiero, NCAA chief medical officer.
“Abstinence-only approaches to social challenges for college-aged individuals are often not as successful as approaches that focus on education about risks and open dialogue.
“The NCAA will continue to collaborate with schools to help them provide student-athletes with meaningful education and other resources for student-athletes who choose to participate in betting on professional sports.
“This harm reduction approach gives schools an opportunity to help student-athletes make educated decisions, prevent risky behavior and seek support without fear of impacting their eligibility.”
The NCAA has conducted research, along with providing educational resources to 150,000 student-athletes about the risks of sports wagering.
The Division I Board of Directors emphasized that its stance is not an endorsement of sports wagering. However, Josh Whitman, athletics director at Illinois and chair of the committee, said the new rule for student-athletes is meant to “better align with their campus peers.”
Michigan prepares for changes
The University of Michigan is already preparing for the change.
The school has 29 sports and more than 900 student-athletes. David Ablauf, senior associate athletic director for football external operations at Michigan, told PlayMichigan it is getting ahead of the issue.
“Our student-athletes have been made aware of the proposed change. Our compliance office will be further educating them as it draws closer to the Nov. 1 start date.”
College programs in New Jersey and across the US could be facing a new reality within the next couple of weeks.
