The NCAA has not necessarily found itself involved in gambling scandals that are seemingly growing around the sports world.
Perhaps, this is the time for amateur athletics to get in front of it. NCAA President Charlie Baker seems to agree. He’s calling for a ban on prob bets as the leader of the body.
“Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity and 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,” Baker said in a statement, via ESPN.com.
This comes a few days after the NBA opened an investigation into Toronto Raptors big man Jontay Porter over perceived irregularities as it relates to prop bets involving him earlier in the season. It also comes with Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani embroiled in a gambling scandal of his own.
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Illinois head coach Brad Underwood chimes in on NCAA and prop betting
Underwood and his Illini are set to take on Iowa State in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. He seemed to support the idea of banning pro bets in talking with media.
“I would hate to see the day where nobody jumps for the jump ball because of a prop bet,” Underwood said.
As professional sports leagues strengthen their relationships with bookmakers, the NCAA finds itself in a tricky situation. Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) has brought financial drama to the amateur athletic body.
Continued interest in betting and prop bets as it relates to college sports only threatens to derail the “amateur” narrative that’s still being thrown around. It certainly is a fine line.