NCAA Rescinds Rule Allowing Athlete Bets on Pro Sports

The National Collegiate Athletic Association announced Friday that its Division I member schools have voted to rescind a recent rule change, maintaining the ban on athletes and athletic department staff betting on professional sports. The decision, reached through a procedural vote among the 361 Division I institutions, ensures the prohibition applies across all three NCAA divisions and underscores ongoing efforts to safeguard the integrity of college athletics amid a surge in gambling-related violations.

The rule change, approved by the Division I Administrative Committee in early October, would have permitted student-athletes and staff to place legal wagers on professional sports starting November 1, while upholding the longstanding ban on betting involving NCAA championship events. However, the proposal lacked the required 75 percent supermajority from the committee, triggering a 30-day window for schools to request its reversal. Needing two-thirds support to succeed, the rescission effort surpassed that threshold just before the deadline on Saturday. In a statement, Division I Administrative Committee Chair Josh Whitman, who is also the athletic director at Illinois,...