NCAA Draws the Line on Player Prop Betting - Seeks Complete Ban in All States

Amidst the excitement of the NCAAM Basketball Tournament, March may just get a little less mad for prop bettors if the governing body gets their wish.

In a statement released by the NCAA on Wednesday, March 27, a significant stride is being taken to safeguard the integrity of collegiate sports, with a focus on student athletes in particular. 

As the institution governing college athletics, the NCAA is stepping forward with a bold initiative. In a bid to shield student-athletes from undue pressures and uphold the sanctity of competition, the NCAA is advocating for the prohibition of player proposition bets.

“Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity of competition and leading to student-athletes and professional athletes getting harassed. The NCAA has been working with states to deal with these threats and many are responding by banning college prop bets," NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a statement.

These prop bet wagers, intricately tied to individual performance metrics such as points scored, rebounds secured, or assists recorded, have come under scrutiny for their potential to sow discord and harassment. 

Many states, such as New Jersey and Connecticut, bettors from wagering on in-state teams, while all other teams remain available. Others have prop bets banned entirely.

Regardless of individual states' restrictions, NCAA President Charlie Baker's resolute stance underscores the gravity of the issue as a tangible threat to the ethos of sportsmanship.

“This week we will be contacting officials across the country in states that still allow these bets and ask them to join Ohio, Vermont, Maryland and many others and remove college prop bets from all betting markets. The NCAA is drawing the line on sports betting 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.”

Amidst the fervor of brackets and buzzer-beaters, the NCAA is sounding a clarion call for action. A dozen states have already implemented measures restricting prop betting for college sports in an effort to stymie the propagation of college prop bets. Ohio and Maryland have recently joined this suit, signaling a groundswell of support for the NCAA's cause.

In an era marked by the rapid expansion of sports betting, the NCAA's unwavering commitment to safeguarding the well-being of student-athletes is commendable but also eye-raising, as the industry is rapidly moving in the opposite direction as far as leagues associating with sportsbooks and gambling.

As the NCAA liaises with state authorities across the nation, its message is unequivocal: the sanctity of collegiate sports must be preserved, and harassment has no place in sports, collegiate-level or otherwise.