NCAA approves change in betting policy for pro sports, starts Nov. 1

A significant change is coming to college athletics.

The Division II and Division III Management Councils announced on Wednesday, Oct. 22 that they have voted to approve the change in the NCAA’s sports betting policy for student athletes and athletics department staff members that will allow both parties to make bets on professional sports.

The change was adopted by the NCAA Division I Administrative Committee back on Wednesday, Oct. 8 but needed approval from Divisions II and III. The rule change will take effect on Saturday, Nov. 1.

It’s a monumental change from the NCAA, as sports gambling has become more engraved in everyday life. The change in the policy is just for professional sports — like the NFL, Major League Baseball, NBA, NHL and WNBA — and not on college sports, which remains prohibited by the NCAA.

Current NCAA sports betting policy on college sports prohibits student-athletes and athletics department staff members from making bets or sharing information with bettors on college sports.

Both Division II and Division III councils emphasized in their news release that their vote to approve the rule change ‘is not an endorsement of sports betting, particularly for student-athletes,’ and that there should be a continuous emphasis on ‘the importance of schools using harm reduction strategies and resources provided by the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports and the Sport Science Institute.’

The change also comes at a time when NCAA investigations into sports betting violations from different member schools around the country continue by the governing body’s enforcement staffs. It is the second notable change adopted by the NCAA in a matter of weeks, with the other being the approval of the recommendation to make the college football transfer window a 15-day window in January.

‘This change allows the NCAA, the conferences, and the member schools to focus on protecting the integrity of college games while, at the same time, encouraging healthy habits for student-athletes who choose to engage in betting activities on professional sports.’

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