NCAA New Rule Lifts Ban on Professional Sports Betting

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer was one of the most explosive players in college football before an injury to his throwing hand required surgery in Week 4. Various preseason reports hailed him as one of the top Heisman trophy contenders. But there was one allegation that almost canceled his stellar season before he even set foot on the field. Screenshots of Mateer’s Venmo transactions were leaked with the caption alluding to something along the lines of sports betting. It later turned out that Mateer did not engage in any betting, but at the time, the reports definitely stirred up the internet and the college football world.

Reading those first reports, I reacted with a mix of disbelief and a tiny bit of joy because, first off, how could you break the rules? But does that also mean Michigan had a better chance of winning its matchup against Oklahoma if Mateer was suspended? Fortunately, Mateer cleared all suspicions and was able to play; however, the Wolverines ultimately lost to the Sooners in a sloppy game down in Norman. The night Michigan lost its game, I saw an old Instagram post talking about Mateer’s gambling accusations (which, again, were proven wrong at the time). I was doomscrolling to alleviate the pain from the loss, but that one post left my mind running.

Sports betting, after its widespread popularity and legalization across the country, has become ubiquitous at sporting events. I cannot recall the last time when I didn’t ask a friend, ‘Hey, got any parlays on this game?’ while watching a game. Sports betting has become ingrained in the core of sports here in North America, and the industry has seen significant growth over the past couple of years. Many people watch sports and bet on them, but one group has always been prohibited from such activity — the athletes and staff themselves. Nonetheless, this is all going to change in college sports, as the NCAA has voted to allow college athletes to bet on professional sports starting November 1, 2025.

This change represents yet another NCAA rule adapted to the current college sports landscape, which has become a lucrative and ever-changing industry. The NCAA further states, in one of its many news briefs, that this new rule helps preserve the integrity of college sports while allowing college athletes, for lack of a better term, to be college kids like their peers.

With the news came skepticism about the integrity of college sports. This year alone, there have been various reports on illegal sports betting activities across both the college and professional levels. Even more comical were the arrests of Chauncey Billups, head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, and Terry Rozier, a professional basketball player for the Miami Heat, due to illegal betting allegations. However, I want to challenge people to think about this: if college athletes are surrounded by peers who regularly bet on sports, is it necessarily good for them to be prohibited from doing so? I am not supporting degenerate betting behavior, but as a college student myself, I know how it feels when you can’t have fun with your friends, and in this case, many college students find joy in betting on sports (which, of course, has its own risks and implications).

Many might still question this new rule, as some college athletes build close relationships with members of the professional sports industry during their college careers, which could raise suspicions that they will have access to inside information and commit other potential violations. Nonetheless, the NCAA has come out in support of the value of education on sports betting, and ultimately, its allowance for student athletes to engage in such activities.

What this rule change will look like in the future intrigues me, but for now, I would like to welcome my fellow college athletes to the stress and joy of placing bets on your favorite teams. And to everyone else, next time you see a college athlete’s Venmo transaction with the caption — “sports betting” — and can’t wait to be the whistleblower on a massive college sports scandal, know that now it could be entirely legal.