NCAA President Confirms They Have Had 175 Sports Betting Violations Since 2018

The NCAA confirmed they have had 175 sports betting violations since the industry became legal in 2018. They also confirmed they currently have 17 active investigations around sports betting. This information was shared in a letter that NCAA President Charlie Baker sent to Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV). Baker’s letter was in response to a request from US Congress for information surrounding sports betting scandals for the NCAA and several pro leagues.

“This kind of transparency is crucial for the integrity of the game and the success of legal sports betting,” Titus said. “Now that we have answers from the NCAA, I need to hear from professional sports leagues about their efforts to protect players and the public from illegal activities.”

According to Baker, the violations ranged from $5 bets all the way to providing inside information to third parties. While the number is far higher than it was before 2018, the NCAA said they have only had 0.25% of their events be flagged for suspicious activity. Baker also shared steps they are taking to curb and monitor for sports betting violations, primarily focusing on the education of both athletes and athletic departments. 

NCAA Currently Has 17 Active Investigations

While Baker’s letter did not include a list of the active investigations, they did confirm they currently have 17 they are reviewing. The largest of these are likely from the state of Iowa, where the University of Iowa and Iowa State University have around 40 athletes awaiting a ruling from the NCAA on sports betting violations. The details around these are largely unknown, but the large number drew the attention of Congress and led to their inquiry into the issue.

This information from the NCAA comes shortly after they announced softer penalties for those who violate the sports betting policy. While the more serious offenses will result in loss of eligibility, more minor offenses will only lead to suspensions. The new changes likely signal that penalties are coming soon for many of these active investigations.