NCAA approves legal sports betting by players and coaching

By Chris Marler

The NCAA’s Division 1 Administrative Committee met on Wednesday to go over several items on the docket that were up for approval. The headliner was supposed to be the approval of the new one-time transfer portal window moving to January. 

However, the news that stole the spotlight on Wednesday came as a surprise to college football fans everywhere. 

The NCAA has approved a proposal that would allow student athletes, coaches, and other athletic department staff to bet on professional sports. The rule is not finalized yet and would need to be approved by all three divisions including Division II and Division III. 

NEW: The NCAA has approved a rule allowing college athletes and staff to bet on professional sports.

To become a new rule, the proposal must be approved by all three NCAA divisions.https://t.co/OsuavPTfAa pic.twitter.com/H6HNKRm4mz

— On3 (@On3sports) October 8, 2025

The rule would continue the same current precedent for sports betting guidelines with student-athletes. Meaning that no one involved in NCAA athletics would be allowed to bet on collegiate sports. They also released a statement saying it “is not an endorsement of sports betting, particularly for student-athletes.”

They went on to say the following. 

“The Administrative Committee was clear in its discussion today that it remains concerned about the risks associated with all forms of sports gambling, but ultimately voted to reduce restrictions on student-athletes in this are to better align with their campus peers,” Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman, the committee chairman, said in a statement released by the NCAA. “This change allows the NCAA, the conferences, and the member schools to focus on protecting the integrity of college games while, at the same time, encouraging healthy habits for student-athletes who choose to engage in betting activities on professional sports.”