NCAA Betting Rules Explained: Navigating the Evolving Landscape of Collegiate Sports and Gambling

The intersection of college athletics and sports betting has become increasingly complex, demanding a clear understanding of the rules and regulations in place. Recent controversies, including the firing of an SEC baseball coach amid a betting scandal, highlight the importance of this issue. The NCAA prohibits anyone involved with college athletics from engaging in any form of sports betting. To adapt to the changing landscape of legalized sports wagering, the NCAA has amended its disciplinary policy for athletes who violate these rules.

Modernizing Penalties for College Athletes

Alex Ricker-Gilbert, athletics director at Jacksonville and chair of the DI Legislative Committee, stated that the new reinstatement guidelines are an adjustment to better meet the times. These guidelines aim to modernize penalties for college athletes in an era where sports wagering is legalized in dozens of states and easily accessible nationwide through online betting platforms. While the NCAA remains committed to preserving the integrity of competition in college sports, it acknowledges the need for considering mitigating factors when prescribing penalties for young people who have made mistakes in this space.

From "One Size Fits All" to Case-by-Case Assessments

The NCAA's previous reinstatement guidelines stipulated that student-athletes who wagered on sports at any level would lose one full season of collegiate eligibility in most cases. The organization has moved away from this "one size fits all" punishment system to a more nuanced approach. The new rules, which apply to gambling infractions reported on or after May 2, allow for penalties to be determined on a case-by-case basis, as detailed in the division's specific reinstatement guidelines.

Harsh Penalties for Actions Impacting Games

The most severe NCAA punishments are reserved for those who attempt to influence the outcomes of their own games or knowingly provide information to individuals involved in sports betting activities. These actions could result in a lifetime ban from NCAA participation. The NCAA prohibits student-athletes from placing, accepting, or soliciting wagers on any institutional practice or any level of competition (intercollegiate, amateur, or professional) in a sport where the NCAA organizes a national championship. This prohibition extends beyond popular collegiate sports like football and basketball to include niche collegiate sports like synchronized swimming, as well as professional leagues such as the NBA, NFL, NHL, or MLB.

What Constitutes a Violation?

Anytime something of value, such as cash, dinner, or a tangible item, is put at risk with the possibility of gaining another item of value based on the result of a sporting event, it is potentially a violation of NCAA sports wagering rules. Sharing information about a team or any other team for sports wagering purposes, even without directly placing a bet, is also a violation. Student-athletes who violate sports wagering prohibitions may lose part or all of their athletic eligibility, subject to an appeal to the Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement.

NCAA Rules Take Precedence

Student-athletes must always follow NCAA rules to protect their eligibility to compete, even if state law makes betting permissible. The NCAA rules take precedence.

NIL and Sports Betting

In June 2021, the NCAA implemented an interim policy on name, image, and likeness (NIL), allowing student-athletes to make money from their personal brand. Athletes can engage in NIL activities if they follow state laws where their school is located. Regulation of NIL deals is expected to increase under the new changes. NIL is an exciting opportunity for both college and high school athletes to make money, but before diving into name, image, and likeness deals, there are some important things to keep in mind. It is important to seek guidance from current college student-athletes for advice on NIL and to build your online presence on social media and stay informed.

State-by-State Overview of NIL Laws

States are introducing their own laws and policies related to NIL, and as a result, the regulations governing name, image, and likeness deals can vary based on where you live or the college you attend. In states with active NIL laws, college athletes can earn money following both state and school rules.

Here's a glimpse of NIL laws across different states (as of May 2025):

Alabama: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Repealed / Suspended
Alaska: Yes, Monetization Allowed, None
Arizona: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law
Arkansas: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law; Amended April 2023 to ban deals involving adult entertainment, alcohol, or gambling, allow civil penalties for violations, and let schools help create NIL opportunities
California: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law
Colorado: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law
Connecticut: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law
Delaware: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law
District of Columbia (D.C.): Yes, Monetization Allowed, Legislation proposed October 2021 hasn’t progressed
Florida: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law
Georgia: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law
Hawaii: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Bill introduced
Idaho: Yes, Monetization Allowed, None
Illinois: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law; Amended August
Indiana: Yes, Monetization Allowed, None
Iowa: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Legislation failed
Kansas: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Legislation failed
Kentucky: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law
Louisiana: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law
Maine: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law
Maryland: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law
Massachusetts: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Legislation proposed, currently following the NCAA’s interim policy.
Michigan: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law
Minnesota: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Legislation proposed, currently following the NCAA’s interim policy.
Mississippi: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law; Amended April 2022 to allow schools to be involved in athletes’ deal conversations.
Missouri: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law; Amended May 2022 and July 2023
Montana: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law
Nebraska: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law
Nevada: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law
New Hampshire: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Legislation proposed
New Jersey: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law
New Mexico: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law
New York: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law; Amended July 2023
North Carolina: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Amended March 2024, North Carolina rescinded its NIL Executive Order, originally issued in July 2021. The move shifts decision-making on NIL deals and trademarks to schools, following NCAA’s reduced authority amid legal challenges.
North Dakota: Yes, Monetization Allowed, None
Ohio: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law
Oklahoma: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law; Amended May 2023
Oregon: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law
Pennsylvania: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law
Rhode Island: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Legislation proposed
South Carolina: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law, Amended May 2024
South Dakota: Yes, Monetization Allowed, None
Tennessee: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law; Amended April 2022
Texas: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law; Amended June 2023
Utah: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law
Vermont: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Legislation proposed, currently following the NCAA’s interim policy.
Virginia: Yes, Monetization Allowed, Signed into law, Amended April 2024 to let schools directly pay athletes and bar the NCAA from penalizing them for it.

Unlike college student-athletes, high school athletes have stricter limitations and may not be able to capitalize on their school’s logo or name. It is highly recommended that you reach out to your high school athletic director or contact your high school association before engaging with NIL deals as a high school student. Yes, each individual school has oversight of NIL deals and the right to object to a deal if it conflicts with existing agreements. The first national governing body to address the new NIL policy was USGA (United States Golf Association). Moving forward, student-athletes interested in monetizing their NIL will need to ask questions about NIL rules when talking with coaches. Before speaking with a coach, prospective student-athletes should create a list of questions about the NIL rules that would impact them. NIL refers to the rights of college athletes to control and profit from their name, image and likeness. Effective July 1, 2021, the NCAA approved name, image, and likeness policy allows student-athletes to monetize their NIL. However, no federal legislation or specific NCAA NIL rules have been established. NIL collectives are support networks for college athletes where donors pool together money to compensate athletes for their name, image and likeness. The NCAA intends to work with federal congressional legislators to replace the interim policy with a single nationwide policy, but there is no timeline on when that might happen. For now, athletes should continue to adhere to NIL rules set in their specific state.

Read also: Crafting Your NCAA Profile

Legal Risks for College Athletes in the Era of Legalized Betting

The spread of sports betting poses new legal risks for college athletes in states where gambling is allowed. An ESPN analysis found that most university athletic departments in those states typically don't address the new legal pitfalls. While college athletes have long faced losing NCAA eligibility for betting on sports, the legal risks are new since the advent of legalized betting six years ago. A 2023 NCAA survey of 18- to 22-year-olds found that 58% have participated in at least one sports betting activity. Six percent said they had lost more than $500 on sports betting in a single day.

University of South Dakota football player Clayton Denker, a member of the school's student-athlete advisory committee, said the athletic department emphasized the ban on sports gambling at the beginning of the school year and stressed that violations could bring "severe consequences" and a loss of eligibility. However, Denker said, he had no idea that betting while a college athlete could be a felony in South Dakota. He stated that if athletes understood that it affects the rest of their life, not just their sport, then they would take it more seriously. The issue of regulatory and criminal consequences has become more prominent in the past two years as athletes and coaches from at least five schools in three states have been criminally charged.

Mark Hicks, the NCAA's managing director of enforcement, believes that it makes sense that student-athletes are educated on their various state laws. He added that the job is better left to individual schools than to the NCAA, although the organization would support more consistency. John Carns, the senior associate athletic director for compliance at the University of Louisville, stated that a "majority" of the responsibility for educating athletes about state law does fall on the school. Student-athletes are only thinking about their eligibility, but there are other legal consequences to it that they're going to fall into, and that's not a great way to start your adult life.

Julie Sommer, executive director of The Drake Group, a nonprofit that advocates for reform in college sports, said that any criminal conviction could have long-term repercussions for student-athletes. A conviction would possibly have to be disclosed to future employers or graduate schools and could affect future opportunities, such as taking the bar exam. The penalties are really severe for college athletes, such as loss of scholarship, and the breaking of state and federal laws is something that follows them for the rest of their lives.

State Laws and Criminal Penalties

In the 38 states with legalized sports betting, all but two specifically restrict athletes from betting on sports. Six states -- Kentucky, New Jersey, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia -- have "clear criminal penalties" when an athlete or other prohibited person places a bet. The definition of crime varies among those states. In Tennessee, it's a misdemeanor for any NCAA athlete to bet on sports. Virginia's rule is specific to bets on "any event in a league in which such a person participates." In South Dakota, it is a felony for athletes to bet on events in which they or their teams are participating.

Some of the Iowa State and University of Iowa athletes arrested in a state police investigation last year were reported to have bet on their own teams, as did New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, according to police. Boutte was charged earlier this year with felony computer fraud and misdemeanor underage gambling while a player at LSU. In Kentucky, it is not only illegal for athletes to bet on events in which they participate, but it is also a misdemeanor for "spouses and close family members" to wager on those events.

Kentucky men's basketball player Brennan Canada, a member of his school's student-athlete advisory committee, said athletic department officials told athletes at the beginning of the year that gambling violates NCAA rules and state law. But he said he was not aware of the additional provision about family.

The number of NCAA investigations into prohibited and underage betting has almost doubled each year: 15 in 2021, 30 in 2022, 50 in 2023. This year's numbers follow a similar trend, according to Hicks. At least a third of college students nationwide are under the standard legal betting age of 21, according to federal education data, and athletes are more susceptible to charges of underage gambling because they are often under greater scrutiny and subject to more reporting requirements.

Legal experts have said that athletes are more likely to use someone else's account or identity to access betting apps, which could make them subject to other fraud and identity crimes. Former Iowa State running back Jirehl Brock faced records tampering charges last year after he allegedly used a betting app under someone else's name. The charge, an aggravated misdemeanor, was later dropped. Brock admitted to placing the bets and said it was such a common activity it just seemed acceptable. He and a few other athletes arrested in Iowa said they didn't grasp the possible criminal consequences.

Brock said that it's kind of a video game on your phone that you can possibly win money with.

College Sports Betting Policies: A Patchwork Approach

ESPN'S REVIEW OF college sports betting policies comes from documents obtained by the Student Press Law Center, which sent records requests to 27 major-conference public universities in states that allowed mobile sports wagering as of the end of 2023. The records provided showed that written policies vary greatly across schools. Some athletic departments borrow excerpts directly from a sports wagering booklet called "Don't Bet On It" by the National Endowment for Financial Education and the NCAA. Others list the gambling rules under subsections like "Athletic Department rules and expectations for student-athletes," and some create school-specific policies that lean heavily on the NCAA regulations. At Rutgers, gambling is listed under "social expectations" alongside several other bullet points on drugs, alcohol, social media, hazing and sexual misconduct. Rutgers said this was a standard team rules template used by coaches.

Some schools like Virginia Tech note that disciplinary actions for sports wagering violations can also come from "local, state, and/or federal prosecution." Derek Gwinn, the executive associate AD who oversees compliance for Virginia Tech, said that presentations to student-athletes often include examples of high-profile cases, such as the Iowa investigation. Gwinn said that as sports betting spreads, the education provided to the athletes has been "enhanced" to include repercussions for them and their eligibility. They emphasized the importance because it was so readily available to them now through mobile applications and things like that, so, just remember that it's still prohibited, per NCAA rules. Gwinn said student-athletes occasionally ask which sports they are allowed to bet on, but the school's message is clear: "Avoid it entirely."

A senior Iowa athletic department official told ESPN they also focus on preventing sports wagering rather than emphasizing the penalties. Sixteen schools said that they have no direct contracts with any integrity monitors, and four referenced monitoring contracts at the conference level. Monitoring agreements can include education and consulting services. Integrity in 2023 gave "LSU Athletics staff and athletes education on inappropriate involvement in sports betting."

Gwinn said that Virginia Tech's integrity monitor provides perspective on how gambling incidents occur, a sense of wagering activity on Hokies games, and additional protection for student-athletes from social media harassment. Sommer, the Seattle sports attorney, said athletes benefit when their schools receive direct information. The more preventative and monitoring measures you take, the greater the chance of success and catching the bad actors, reducing the harms for the college athletes and the student population as well the integrity of the game.

Clint Hangebrauck, the NCAA's managing director of enterprise risk management, said while schools do a good job of informing athletic staff and athletes about the rules, the recent high-profile cases have prompted compliance staffs to think about better ways to educate. He cited the NCAA's partnership with international advocacy group EPIC Risk Management, which brings in former problem gamblers to speak with athletes and staff. He believes that there's certainly an interest in growing what that looks like because it has become so prevalent in our society. Student-athletes are coming into college, and many have engaged in betting in some form or fashion and so it's entrenched. It's an ongoing conversation on how best do we educate, and he would imagine it's going to get more and more robust as we go along.

Denker, the South Dakota football player, said sharing examples of other violations, especially criminal cases, would help athletes. Our athletic department makes sure that they cover every topic at the beginning of the year.

Understanding College Basketball Betting

The NCAA Tournament is second only in betting volume to the NFL playoffs and the Super Bowl. While many states have legal online sports betting or allow wagering at brick-and-mortar sportsbooks, you can’t bet on college basketball in every state just yet. In some states, there are small limitations, including not being able to make a wager on a team that’s located within the state. For example, if you’re betting in New Jersey, you can’t bet on St. Peter’s to make another run. A number of states have adopted the same policy, including New York, Illinois, Virginia, Washington, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. While players in New York still can’t bet on local college teams like Colgate, they will be permitted to wager on tournament games taking place in Buffalo as long as they don’t involve a team from The Empire State. Residents of Illinois can bet on their favorite college teams at any physical sportsbook, just not through mobile.

Common Betting Types

Moneyline: A single bet on the team that you think is going to win the game. If you are betting the favorite, you will see a (-) symbol, and if you are betting the underdog you will see a (+) symbol.
Point Spread: A wager on how much a team wins or loses by.
Total (Over/Under): A bet on the total number of combined points scored in a game.
Parlays: A bet on multiple games where you need to win every game to win.
Teaser: A multi-game wager where you can move a point spread up or down.
Live Betting: An in-game wager made during the game.
Prop Bets: Individual-focused bets, such as which player will score the most points.
Future Bets: Bets on which teams will make the Final Four or win the championship.

Strategies for Betting

Shopping for Line Value: Check with multiple sportsbooks to see which one has the best ncaab odds for your game.
In-Game Wagering: Take advantage of potentially mispriced lines during the game.

Selection Sunday and Tournament Structure

Selection Sunday is a magical day in the beginning of March that awards 36 at-large bids to the top teams in the nation that did not already receive an automatic bid by winning their respective conference tournament. Four separate regions make up the tournament bracket: East, South, Midwest, and West. Each region contains 16 teams, with the No. 1 seed playing the 16-seed, the No. 2 seed playing the 15-seed, and so on. Historically speaking, the games that produce the most frequent upsets are the 7 vs. 10, 6 vs. 11, and 5 vs.

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