The college association embraces sports betting.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association has a big, big problem. Texas Tech quarterback Brandon Sorsby is going to be playing college football this year despite his gambling addiction. Sorsby went to a betting rehabilitation facility and the NCAA suspended him. But Sorsby went to court and a judge has told the NCAA Sorsby can play until he hears the case after the 2026 season. NCAA schools are talking about some sort of boycott which includes not playing Texas Tech in any sports this year. The schools are worried about integrity. But three years ago, the NCAA saw money in betting. NCAA President Charlie Baker, the former governor of Massachusetts who had problems getting Massachusetts lawmakers to approve legalized sports betting but did sign a sports betting law in August 2022, spoke at the ‘The Future of College Sports’ event at the University of Arizona and said the NCAA should embrace legalized sports betting.
“That’s a major opportunity, right in front of us. We have a major opportunity to get into the sports betting space. Anybody who has a phone able to bet from any place they want and two-thirds to almost three quarters of all people between the ages of 18 and 22 betting on sports.” But Baker knows another thing, sports betting, legal or illegal, can destroy someone’s life but he is most concerned about student athletes. “The truth is, if there are lots of kids on campus betting on college sports and betting on the teams on their campus, this puts student-athletes in a very difficult position. Create a program that we hope we’re going to get everybody to endorse around helping them develop the tools and techniques (athletes are) going to need to deal with this stuff.” The NCAA does not have a direct sportsbook partner but it does supply information to sportsbooks.
Brandon Sorsby
