NCAA student-athlete leaders have spoken out about prop betting, calling on NCAA President Charlie Baker to work to restrict or ban player-specific wagers on college athletes.
The Big Ten Conference Student-Athlete Issues Commission, the formal athlete leadership body of the oldest Division I conference in the U.S., sent a letter addressed to Baker on Tuesday to cite their concerns over the threat that they feel the growth of prop bets poses to student-athletes.
Members of the commission, which includes 22 athletes representing all 18 Big Ten schools, wrote that prop betting presents “unique risks” at the college level.
“These bets focus on individual and team actions and performances, leaving student-athletes directly at the center of gambling outcomes and exposed to potential backlash,” they wrote. “Limiting or eliminating prop betting on college athletes would be a meaningful step toward reducing harassment, protecting mental well-being and preserving the integrity of college competition.”
The abuse is real, say NCAA athletes
Calls for player prop betting, particularly on college sports, to be reined in are nothing new.
Baker has been expressing concerns and urging state gaming regulators to ban college player props since 2023. Some states such as New York and Pennsylvania already did so and others, including Ohio, Maryland, Vermont and Louisiana, have joined them since Baker began speaking out. Not all states agree; Missouri’s gaming regulator recently turned down a request from Baker, stating that it was too early to make such a decision just weeks after the state launched online sports betting.
But a student-athlete body directing calling for action to be taken may step up the conversation another notch.
Two primary reasons are consistently cited for either banning outright or limiting college player props: To protect sporting integrity and to avoid athletes being abused by bettors. The Big Ten players cited both in their statement.
“Prop betting exposes student-athletes to increased and aggravated social media pressure and harassment. Many student-athletes receive angry messages, threats or public criticism from bettors when wagers do not hit. This kind of treatment is harmful, unnecessary and often relentless. It negatively affects mental health and distracts from both athletic and academic responsibilities.”
That abuse extends to an “overwhelming number of death threats” against student-athletes, added the letter.
“Sports betting does not give anyone the right to dehumanize athletes. We are human beings over everything else – more than a jersey number, a stat line, or someone else’s wager. We believe protecting student-athletes must be a priority.”
Shadow of college sports betting scandals looms large
The Big Ten players’ commission has made its plea as sports betting scandals continue to cast a shadow over both college and pro sports.
As well as the high-profile major league incidents like Jontay Porter’s lifetime ban from the NBA and the Cleveland Guardians pitch-rigging scheme, the NCAA has faced numerous investigations. Just last month, a federal indictment alleged that a large group of college basketball players were point shaving for the purposes of betting, with 39 NCAA players across 17 schools implicated.
The Big Ten players’ letter noted that student-athletes remain amateur players, and young ones at that, a status that the Big Ten players said can make them more susceptible to influence or financial incentives.
“When bets are tied to individual statistics or plays, it creates pressure and suspicion around student-athletes’ performance,” added the letter. “Even when no wrongdoing occurs, prop betting can raise doubts about effort, decision-making and fairness.
“Prop bets are relatively easy to influence on the part of the player, should they be involved or influenced by the wrong people, but eliminating prop bets would help protect the integrity of college sports and reduce the external pressure on student-athletes.”
