The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced on Wednesday a major change to its sports betting rules. Starting November 1, 2025, student-athletes and athletic department staff will be allowed to place legal bets on professional sports events.

Approval and Timeline The rule was approved by the Division II and III Management Councils, following preliminary support from the Division I Cabinet two weeks earlier. The official announcement was made on October 22, 2025, with the policy taking effect nine days later.

What Is Allowed and What Is Not

Allowed: Betting on professional leagues such as the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and WNBA. Prohibited:

• Any betting on college sports
• Betting involving college athletes, even in NCAA-sponsored sports at the professional level.
• Sharing or using inside information about college competitions.

Reason for the Change Previous NCAA rules, written when sports betting was illegal in most states, banned all forms of sports wagering. Since the 2018 repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), 38 states have legalized sports betting. The NCAA is now focusing enforcement efforts on protecting college sports integrity rather than regulating legal professional betting.

Recent Violation

September 2025: Three men’s basketball players from Fresno State and San Jose State received lifetime bans for manipulating their own games to profit from bets. 2023: A federal investigation uncovered underage athletes at Iowa State and the University of Iowa using fake accounts to place illegal bets on college games.

Control and Prevention Measures The NCAA will maintain:

Complete ban on advertising and sponsorships from sports betting operators at all NCAA events and championships. Mandatory education programs on responsible gambling. Ongoing collaboration with the Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports Committee and the NCAA Sport Science Institute.