DI Approves Modifications to Wagering-Related Reinstatement Guidelines

The Division I Council Coordination Committee on Wednesday adjusted the guidelines for student-athlete reinstatement cases in which student-athletes wager on other teams at their own schools. An adjustment to reinstatement guidelines was requested by the Conference Commissioners Association in early October and was supported in concept by the Division I Council at its Oct. 4 meeting.

Effective immediately, reinstatement guidelines for student-athletes who wager on teams at their school — excluding their own team — will start at requiring one season of ineligibility and a loss of one year of eligibility. Student-athletes will also be required to participate in sports wagering rules and prevention education as a condition of reinstatement. Previous guidelines, as approved in June, prescribed permanent ineligibility for those cases. The adjusted guidelines may be applied to cases in which student-athletes are currently serving suspensions related to wagering on a different team at their own school that were reported on or after May 2, 2023.

"To be clear, Division I members do not encourage student-athletes to engage in sports wagering at any level, and the actions today to modify reinstatement conditions should not be interpreted as support for wagering behaviors," said Jon Steinbrecher, chair of the Council Coordination Committee and commissioner of the Mid-American Conference. "NCAA members continue to prioritize integrity of competition and felt that reinstatement conditions for violations of wagering rules should reflect that focus and, when possible, also accommodate opportunities for preventative education."

The adjustment to reinstatement guidelines is the first step in membership action to review NCAA rules around sports wagering more broadly. Under current NCAA rules, it remains impermissible for student-athletes, coaches and athletics administrators to engage in sports wagering in any sport sponsored by the NCAA, including collegiate and professional sports. 

"The council agreed with Division I commissioners that the reinstatement conditions for wagering violations in limited circumstances should be adjusted," Steinbrecher said. "Member schools need to fully examine NCAA wagering legislation overall — particularly in light of changes in recent years to federal and state laws — but the council agreed that additional changes should not be made until potential changes to rules are contemplated."