NCAA President Charlie Baker has expressed concerns about the growing impact of sports betting on college sports. Baker highlighted the increased abuse directed at players and officials due to sports betting. His remarks come as the NCAA continues to evaluate how the expansion of sports betting is affecting athletes, referees, and coaches.
In a recent interview with CBS News, NCAA President Charlie Baker pointed to a growing wave of abusive messages directed at college athletes, coaches, and officials due to frustrated bettors reacting to losing wagers.
Baker noted that the NCAA has begun working with payment platform Venmo to address harassment, including efforts to restrict users who target athletes online. While this is a step in the right direction, it can still be difficult to deter abuse because bettors can just use another payment method.
Baker went on to say that the current situation is increasingly difficult to manage, with abuse becoming more widespread.
With March Madness underway, Baker said the NCAA is taking additional steps to monitor and respond to misconduct, both in arenas and across social media. We see this with the NCAA Draw The Line campaign, which is a public service announcement to raise awareness on the harassment that athletes face due to sports betting.
Baker also reiterated the NCAA’s stance against prop betting in college sports, arguing that such wagers place undue pressure on student-athletes who are simply trying to compete.
This comes after Duke standout Isaiah Evans spoke against college player prop betting, highlighting the abuse that players have taken from sports bettors.
Not only can college player prop betting have an effect on the well-being of players, but also game integrity. This was highlighted in a recent point-shaving scandal involving several college basketball players.
Baker’s comments highlight the likelihood that a full-out player prop ban, or at least more restrictions, could be coming in college sports. His repeated criticism of these wager types, combined with recent player complaints and integrity concerns, suggests that momentum is building toward stricter limits or an outright ban.
Player prop bets have become a focal point because they tie individual athlete performance directly to betting outcomes, often making players the target of backlash from bettors.
While the NCAA itself does not control state betting laws, it has been actively lobbying for restrictions nationwide. If that effort gains traction, more states could begin revisiting their rules around college betting markets, with player props at the top of the list.
