Northwestern head coach David Braun used a routine question about betting odds to deliver a pointed warning about gambling, calling sports betting “predatory” at his weekly press conference on Monday. Braun’s Wildcats are 6-1, ranked No. 20 in the AP poll, and preparing to travel to Oregon.
The comments came when Braun was asked about Northwestern’s status as a 3.5-point underdog despite its ranking and winning streak. He did not call for specific regulation or policy changes. A clip of the remarks was posted by a Daily Northwestern reporter and circulated online.
Braun said the last thing the program pays attention to is betting lines, then asked why lines are set at all. His answer: “To draw action.”
He then spoke about his sons, who are 11 and 9. He said he is “terrified” of how addictive phones and gambling are and used the moment to tell young people to “stay off your phones, stay away from gambling.” He also described the “predatory nature” of some betting products and said he worries about men ages 18 to 25.
Braun added that players have told him to stop calling the team an underdog, which he described as a sign of a player-led program.
Northwestern enters the game on a four-game winning streak after a 42-14 win over Rutgers. The Wildcats sit fourth in the Big Ten. Oregon is 4-3 and recently fired offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer.
The game is scheduled for Halloween in Eugene. BetMGM lists Oregon as a 3.5-point favorite.
The NCAA prohibits athletes and staff from betting on sports in which it sponsors a championship. On November 21, 2025, the NCAA announced that two-thirds of Division I schools had voted to rescind a change that would have allowed betting on professional sports, leaving the ban in place.
NCAA President Charlie Baker has pushed to remove college player prop bets from sportsbooks, a separate effort from Braun’s comments. Concern about young bettors has grown alongside the legal market. A National Council on Problem Gambling survey found that 65% of adults 21 and older reported taking part in at least one form of gambling before age 21.
Northwestern is based in Evanston, Illinois, where online sports betting is legal for adults 21 and older.
Last week, Rep. Jimmy Patronis of Florida asked the Atlantic Coast Conference to disclose its online sports betting rules for employees and others tied to its competitions. His letter was linked to the conference’s support for a federal college sports bill.
Braun’s remarks come as officials, conferences and coaches face questions about how much exposure college athletics should have to gambling.
Saturday’s game at Oregon is Northwestern’s next test, and Braun said betting lines are not part of the team’s preparation. Sports betting operators and industry groups had not publicly responded to his comments in the coverage reviewed.
The NCAA, conferences and Congress continue to weigh policies on athlete and staff betting. Braun’s comments add a prominent coach’s voice to that debate, but he did not tie them to any specific proposal.
