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College athletes might be allowed to wager on professional sports starting on Nov. 1. Penn State told PlayPennsylvania that it is starting to prepare its student-athletes for a new reality.
The Division I Administrative Committee adopted the proposal earlier this month. Divisions II and III are expected to hold votes later this month. If both follow Division I, student-athletes would be able to start betting on sports starting next month.
Allowing student-athletes to wager on professional sports would be new territory for schools and athletic programs.
Penn State ‘cannot prohibit’ wagering
Penn State is one of the more elite and prestigious athletic schools in country, a resident of the Big Ten Conference. The program has 31 sports with more than 800 student-athletes.
PlayPennsylvania reached out to Penn State asking if it would allow such wagering on professional sports, and the kind of measures in place to protect its student-athletes. The athletic department responded with this statement:
“We are aware of the NCAA’s proposed policy change that would permit student-athletes and staff to wager on professional sports beginning Nov. 1.
“While we cannot prohibit participation in such activities if the rule is adopted, we remain committed to educating our student-athletes on gambling awareness as we have for many years.
“Our department will continue to expand these efforts in response to evolving regulations. These programs are designed to ensure student-athletes understand the risks and responsibilities associated with sports wagering.”
Under the new proposal, student-athletes would still not be allowed to bet on college sports.
Reasoning for new proposal
There have been multiple betting probes involving college athletes throughout the years. Temple is currently involved in one of them from a March 2024 game against UAB.
Josh Whitman, athletics director at Illinois and chair of the Division I committee, explained that the new rule helps student-athletes “better align with their campus peers.”
Dr. Deena Casiero, NCAA chief medical officer, commented on the challenges of abstinence and why it might not be the best course of action moving forward:
“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.”
More than 100,000 student-athletes have participated in gambling education programs to prepare for the changes.
The University of Michigan told PlayMichigan last week that its “compliance office will be further educating” student-athletes as Nov. 1 approaches.
