Days after NCAA's decision to sell data to sportsbooks, committee reportedly in talks to allow college athletes to bet on pro sports

A measure that allows college athletes to bet on professional sports is heading to further deliberations after NCAA officials directed the Division I Council to adopt legislation permitting pro sports wagering at the collegiate level.

The Division I Board of Directors, which approved the measure 21-1 in a video conference on Apr. 21, also instructed the league to introduce future regulations concerning providing a safe harbor, limiting immunity or reducing penalties for student-athletes who engage in sports wagering but are seeking help to end such activity.

The D-1 Council will discuss the issue next week, per Sports Illustrated, citing sources privy to the matter. These sources also clarified that regulations against gambling on college sports would remain until further notice.

If approved, the amended regulations enable the NCAA and its member schools to concentrate on enforcing rules against wagering, which directly affects college athletics.

Matt Banker, college athletics consultant with MB Sports Consulting, described the changes as a cultural and philosophical recalibration for college athletics.

"The world of sports wagering looks far different in 2025 than it did even 10 years ago, as it's now legal in almost 80% of the United States," Banker said.

The spread of contentious claims related to eligibility and infractions in pro sports gambling has derailed enforcement and compliance, with authorities handing out reduced punishments for infractions and small penalties.

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NCAA, federal authorities step up efforts against game-fixing in college basketball

As the NCAA tackles ways to loosen its grip on pro sports wagering, league and federal authorities have joined forces to resolve game-fixing in college basketball.

Federal authorities and NCAA officials have conducted investigations into the matter. Some Division I officials have imposed disciplinary actions against men's basketball teams or players who were proven to have been involved in betting on college games or fixing their games for wagering purposes during the 2024-25 season.

According to figures compiled by the International Betting Integrity Association, six games were flagged for suspicious betting patterns in the US in the first three months of the year.

The number is on pace to be higher than the 2024 figures, wherein eight total games were alleged to have conducted suspicious betting patterns. Five of them took place in the US, two in Canada and one in Mexico.

The latest developments come after the NCAA and technology firm Genius Sports signed an expanded partnership deal. The transaction allows the NCAA to give licensed sportsbooks the power to use its marks and logos and gain official data from championship events, including the men's and women's basketball tournaments.