There is lots going on around the area of college and university sports betting and in this article, we are looking at how sports betting can be put in place in universities and whether or not betting on university and college teams is a good or bad idea. Sports betting is really popular all over the world and this includes betting on college football and basketball teams. Many experts feel that national sports gambling is coming and that it will be great for colleges. They are also stating that the NCCA needs to be ready for when college sports betting happens.
NCCA against Sports Betting
The Supreme Court is considering a case that may just open the door to legalized sports betting in America. The NCCA is officially against sports betting and have even gone as far are relocating some championship events from New Jersey back in 2012, when this state legalized sports betting on college events.
To date, the NCAA’s prohibition on playing championships in Las Vegas is seen as misguided purity. The PAC-12 and Mountain West have played their postseason basketball tournaments in Las Vegas for years without any incident, but the NCAA has stood firm excluding NCAA tournaments and games and other national championships to be held there. Their stands on Las Vegas hasn’t served them any purpose and they may have no say in the matter soon enough.
Supreme Court Ruling on Sports Betting
The Supreme Court has heard arguments on New Jersey’s right to legalize sports betting and this sets the stage for the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PAPSA), which has been in place for 25 years, to be overturned.
If this happens more and more states will move to make gambling on sports legal and the NCAA will have to give up on one of their most controversial bylaws. If and when this happens, it won’t take long before Las Vegas becomes the place for College sports and we would see the College Football Playoff Championship games and Final Fours being held here.
Jim Livengood, a former athletics director at Arizona and UNLV, said, “It’s not about gaming, and it’s about how you regulate it. I know it’s self-serving, but Vegas regulates it as well as anybody. This is not an if – it’s a when. It’s going to happen.”
Legalized Sports Betting could bring in $6.03 Billion Annually by 2023
The NCCA should really take the position to lead and not merely follow. It has already been proven that legalized sports betting can coexist with major events so it’s about time they got on board.
The decision now ultimately lies with the US Supreme Court and whether or not they will put an end to the federal ban on sports betting. If the PASPA is overturned a number of states will being adopting some form of regulated sports betting and this in turn will lead to massive annual revenues. It is estimated that legalized sports betting could bring in as much as $6.03 billion per year by 2023.
College Sports Leaders Discuss Gambling
The Learfield Intercollegiate Athletics Forum was held in New York and gambling was one of the main topics. Hundreds of college sports leaders were in attendance and joined panel discussions on a number of different topics that affect their business.
The president of the NCAA, Mark Emmert, attended the forum on the Wednesday where he suggested a “carve out” if PAPSA is overturned. What he was asking for what that states would be lobbied and asked to exclude college sports if gambling is legalized nationwide.
Many people fear this could be a big mistake and that sports gambling is in fact good for college sports. It’s legal in Canada and many feel that it could help to drive interest and popularity. Also, if it is going to make legal nationwide, there will be league who will find a way to make it work for them and they won’t be looking to fight the decision.
The fans are already placing their bets online or illegally on their way to tailgate each week and colleges and conferences need to realize that this is normal. If they don’t, they obviously don’t understand their customers.
Greg Sankey, SEC Commissioner, said, “I’m certainly interested in what the outcome might be. I haven’t had time to look at the information from the arguments, and we’ll await that decision. I don’t know that I predict any adjustments, per se, on our side, but I also wouldn’t assume there won’t be some level of attention to the realities that might come from that decision if it alters it for us. We’re attentive, and the decision could certainly have an impact on our culture broadly and that affect the sporting culture. But it’s difficult to sit here and effectively plan without having a decision.”
Bob Bowlsby, Big 12 Commissioner, said, “We’ve certainly given it a lot of thought and have considered the implications. I think it depends a little bit on what the law looks like, but I’m not convinced that’s necessarily the direction the Supreme Court is going to go.”
NHL and NFL go to Las Vegas
In the continued argument around college sports betting, no one has been able to give valid reasons why sports gambling and college sports can’t exist together in the same geographical area. The reality is, they already do. The NCAA is unable to control where conferences hold big events and many are drawn to Las Vegas because that’s where the market is. Las Vegas itself as a venue would naturally draw more fans and is perfect for showcase events like the College baseball regionals, the women’s basketball Final Four, and hockey’s Frozen Four. The NCCA top 25 college teams for 2018 could see a huge increase in fans and more if sports betting and big events in Las Vegas happen.
The NHL and the NFL have already begun moving franchises to Las Vegas and it seems pretty obvious that the NCAA has nothing to lose by following them. They can still keep an eye on whether their coaches and athletes are gambling on sports, but the reality of it is, this has nothing to do with where the games are played.
They may be fighting it, but the NCAA know that a major change in coming and when this happens they won’t have the power to remove events from states that make sports gambling legal. Emmert said, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Obviously, if you wind up with sports gambling everywhere in the country then we’re not going to stop playing championships. We’ll play wherever we have to.”