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NCAA’s Baker: I ‘wish sports betting had just stayed in Vegas’

Kelly Irvin

Updated as of June 12, 2024 at 5:49 PM EDT • Read time: 2 minutes and 1 second. Links to Twitter and Google News.

NCAA President Charlie Baker listens to remarks prior to being presented with the Adams Award during the Adams Presidential Center fundraiser gala at Granite Links in Quincy as we look at Baker saying that prop betting should have stayed in Vegas.
NCAA President Charlie Baker listens to remarks prior to being presented with the Adams Award during the Adams Presidential Center fundraiser gala at Granite Links in Quincy. Photo by Tom Gorman / USA Today Network.

NCAA president Charlie Baker has made it clear that he is against the idea of betting on college athletes through sportsbooks.

The NCAA, under his leadership, has implemented the “draw the line” campaign to educate student-athletes on the dangers of sports betting, with a focus on reaching viewers and fans of college sports.

He has been advocating for the prohibition of prop betting on college games, which has been implemented in several states including Ohio, Vermont, Maryland, and Louisiana following Baker’s initial push in March. The SEC, however, has not yet reached a decision on the matter.

Baker is known for speaking his mind when it comes to discussing the impact of the evolving sports-betting industry on college sports. Most recently, he made candid remarks at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and Affiliates Convention.

Baker wishes sports betting never left Nevada

“I wish sports betting had remained exclusive to Vegas,” he expressed, noting that with the legalization of betting in more states, it has become difficult for young individuals to resist.

With sports betting now legal in 38 states and continuing to expand since the overturning of PAPSA in 2018, it’s clear that there’s no turning back. Baker understands this and is now focused on finding ways to restrict betting on college sports in order to mitigate potential problems, particularly player harassment.

During Baker’s brief one-year tenure, multiple incidents have quickly emerged, often involving disgruntled bettors who placed wagers through online betting sites and blamed a player for not securing their bet.

Player harassment and other issues

Multiple reports of player harassment have surfaced, with the most notable incident involving high-profile player Armando Bacot of the North Carolina Tar Heels basketball team. Bacot revealed in March that he frequently receives angry messages after not meeting statistical expectations.

He expressed to USA Today, “It’s awful. I thought I had a good game last time, but apparently not good enough. After the game, I checked my DMs and saw over 100 messages criticizing me for not grabbing more rebounds.”

He expressed that while he believes the situation is a bit excessive, he also sees the reasoning behind it. He mentioned that he can understand why fans would be upset if they had placed a large bet and it was ruined by one wrong pick. However, he also finds it frustrating at times.

In addition to player harassment, there have also been reports of players and coaches participating in betting activities. Several athletes from Iowa and Iowa State faced charges for engaging in illegal sports betting, resulting in suspensions for some individuals.

Brad Bohannon, the ex-Alabama baseball coach, was dismissed for sharing insider information with a bettor who bet against his team in the 2023 SEC championship game.

In a statement made in March, Baker expressed concern about the increasing prevalence of sports betting issues nationwide, particularly with prop bets posing a threat to the integrity of competition and leading to harassment of student-athletes and professional athletes. The NCAA has been collaborating with states to address these threats, with many states choosing to prohibit college prop bets in response.

Written By:
Kelly Irvin
Kelly Irvin has been in the sports media wilderness since 2009, and he joined Underscoreg Review in 2021. His work has been referenced in The New York Times and Forbes. He’s also made appearances on The Fan 590 and TSN 1050. Sean is a regular bettor who places bets daily while using a handful of books. Most frequently, he uses FanDuel and bet365 due to the quality experience on those apps. While he’ll often take an analytical approach, Sean enjoys the fun, recreational side of betting too, and embraces alternative markets on events like the Westminster Dog Show or Eurovision, or the many novelty props tied annually to the Super Bowl, for example. Beyond sports, Sean is also interested in the betting markets tied to politics, and especially those connected to American elections. He sees betting as a way to explore and engage in a deeper way, and takes that same view to his work. He plays poker periodically too, and is an avid fantasy sports player. Sean also previously spent time with Bleacher Report and theScore, all after earning his media studies degree from the University of Guelph-Humber.