The NCAA And Sports Betting …

Since I spent yesterday pondering the NFL’s gambling rules as they relate to NFL players, I thought I would check around and see what the NCAA might be doing along similar lines.  College football does not draw as much betting interest as the NFL, but I can tell you from direct observation that plenty of people have a significant interest in “having something riding” on the outcome of college football games.  It turns out that the NCAA recently modified its punishments for various levels of offense.

In the past, the NCAA had a blanket rule for all of its student-athletes:

• Players may not bet on any sport offered by the NCAA and the punishment was a loss of one-year of eligibility.

The NCAA has had some bizarre rules in the past; so, let me assume that this rule only applies to collegiate games in various sports.  It is difficult for me to imagine how “the integrity of college football” might be endangered by an offensive tackle somewhere betting on the outcome of the World Series – – even though the NCAA offers baseball.  Recently, the NCAA has refined that one-size-fits-all rule as follows:

• Players who do something to affect the outcomes of games they are involved in or who provide any information to people who wagered on games they are involved in can face a penalty up to and including complete loss of collegiate eligibility.  This prohibition extends beyond games in which the player participates and extends to any game in any sport at their school.  [Aside:  I like this rule; it has teeth; I wonder if it would ever be applied.]
• Players who bet on their own sport but involving teams from different schools can face up to a half season suspension and loss of a half year of eligibility.  [Aside:  This seems a bit harsh, but this is a distinction that should be made.]
• When players violate other betting restrictions – – not spelled out in the reports I read – – the NCAA will consider the amount(s) of the wagers.  Presumably, that means a wager causing the loser to buy lunch for the winner would be treated on a sliding scale when compared to a wager involving several thousand dollars.  The punishments here would similarly involve various amounts of eligibility loss.  [Aside:  I guess the rectitude of this provision really depends on what “other betting restrictions” turn out to be.]

Here is part of a statement by the NCAA regarding the impetus for the rule modifications/clarifications:

“These new guidelines modernize penalties for college athletes at a time when sports wagering has been legalized in dozens of states and is easily accessible nationwide with online betting platforms.  While sports wagering by college athletes is still a concern — particularly as we remain committed to preserving the integrity of competition in college sports — consideration of mitigating factors is appropriate as staff prescribe penalties for young people who have made mistakes in this space.”

Speaking of sports betting – – now legalized in 38 states don’t you know – – one popular form of betting is known as “Futures”.  As we speak, one can bet on the “future” outcomes for all the NFL Division races among other future happenings in the NFL such as Super Bowl participants and number of games won by any team.  I read a report last week that the NFC North Division is the one getting the most action in Futures betting this year and that the Detroit Lions are the betting favorite in that division.  According to BetMGM:

• The greatest number of Futures bets so far this year involve the winner of the NFC North Division.
• The Lions have more money bet on them to win their division than any other team in the league.
• In this heavily bet division, the Lions command 71% of the money wagered on the division as a whole.

Remember, the Vikings are in the NFC North and the Vikings won 13 games last year.  Obviously, the betting public does not think that is going to happen again.  For the record, here are the odds on the betting favorites to win their respective divisions in the upcoming regular season:

• Bengals at +120
• Bills at +130
• Chiefs at minus-165
• Eagles at minus-110
• Jags at minus-165
• Lions at +105
• Niners at minus-165
• Saints at +125

Finally, apropos of nothing, let me close today with this note from artist Georgia O’Keeffe:

“I hate flowers – I paint them because they’re cheaper than models and they don’t move.”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………