Charlie Neibergall/AP
NCAA President Charlie Baker is calling on states across the country to ban prop bets on college athletes, claiming the integrity of competition is at stake.
In statement released Wednesday, Baker revealed his organization is seeking a nationwide bans on such bets. He claimed that player props — which focus on individual success as opposed to team success — has led to both student and professional athletes facing harassment.
“Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity of competition and leading to student-athletes and professional athletes getting harassed,” Baker said. “The NCAA has been working with states to deal with these threats and many are responding by banning college prop bets.
“This week, we will be contacting officials across the country in states that still allow these bets and ask them to join Ohio, Vermont, Maryland and many others and remove college prop bets from all betting markets. The NCAA is drawing the line on sports betting to protect student-athletes and to protect the integrity of the game — issues across the country these last several days show there is more work to be done.”
With sports betting on the rise, the NCAA is acting to protect student-athletes from harassment and working to protect the integrity of the game – this week shows why it’s so important to act. pic.twitter.com/krATwpS4hZ
— NCAA News (@NCAA_PR) March 27, 2024
Prop bets have been at the center of a recent NBA controversy. The league on Monday revealed it was investigating Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter for “betting irregularities” relating to his own player props.
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