Gambling and Ethical Conduct

If you think it's ok to bet on sports....think again! The NCAA has taken a firm stance against gambling and it's important that you know that if you gamble on college athletics, you're gambling with your eligibility. Keep in mind the following:

NCAA rules strictly prohibit student-athletes from sports wagering on ANY intercollegiate or professional athletics contests.
You may not bet on professional sports events in which the NCAA conducts a championship competition, Division I-A football and emerging sports.
Wagering/betting includes receiving or offering any item that has a tangible value (e.g., cash, clothes, dinner) based on the outcome of an athletics event.

Internet gambling is impermissible. This includes "Fantasy Leagues" that cost money to join and pays individuals based on their "team's" performance.
Any type of betting "pool" (e.g., March Madness, Super Bowl), including pools organized by family, friends, neighbors, etc., for cash or other prizes is impermissible.
You may not knowingly provide information (injury status, etc.) to individuals involved in any type of organized gambling activities concerning intercollegiate athletics competition.

You may not participate in any gambling activity that involves intercollegiate athletics or professional athletics through a bookmaker, a parlay card or any other method employed by organized gambling.

Gambling activities can be a violation of federal law and can result in a fine and/or imprisonment.

It is a Federal offense to influence or attempt to influence, in any way, a sporting contest by bribery. This statute covers not only the outright "throwing" of contests, but also "point shaving," and applies not only to the maker of the bribe but also to the recipient of the bribe.
It is a Federal offense to make use of interstate facilities, including the telephone or mail, for the placing of illegal bets.
A violation of these Federal laws may result in a fine up to $10,000 and/or imprisonment up to five years.

ETHICAL CONDUCT

10.3 Gambling: There will be zero tolerance for participating in any gambling activities prohibited by NCAA legislation. This policy shall apply to student-athletes, all staff members of the athletics department (including physicians, trainers, and mangers), and staff members of the conference.

10.4 Disciplinary Action: A student-athlete found to have violated the above prohibitions will be permanently ineligible for any participation in any sport in any manner and will be subject to removal of all athletically-related financial aid.

The NCAA Bylaws regarding ethical conduct affect all constituencies in the athletic department - student-athletes, coaches, and staff alike. Given the severe consequences that can accompany violations of these bylaws, it is important that you understand what constitutes a violation, as set forth in Bylaw 10.1:

Refusal to furnish information relevant to an investigation of a possible violation of an NCAA regulation when requested to do so by the NCAA or the individual's institution;
Knowing involvement in arranging for fraudulent academic credit or false transcripts for a prospective or an enrolled student-athlete;
Knowing involvement in offering or providing a prospective or an enrolled student-athlete an improper inducement or extra benefit or improper financial aid;

Knowingly furnishing the NCAA or the individual's institution false or misleading information concerning the individual's involvement in or knowledge of matters relevant to a possible violation of an NCAA regulation;
Receipt of benefits by an institutional staff member for facilitating or arranging a meeting between a student-athlete and an agent, financial advisor or a representative of an agent or advisor (e.g., "runner");
Knowing involvement in providing a banned substance or impermissible supplement to student-athletes, or knowingly providing medications to student-athletes contrary to medical licensure, commonly accepted standards of care in sports medicine practice, or state and federal law;

Failure to provide complete and accurate information to the NCAA or institution's admissions office regarding an individual's academic record (e.g., schools attended, completion of coursework, grades and test scores);
Fraudulence or misconduct in connection with entrance or placement examinations;
Engaging in any athletics competition under an assumed name or with intent to otherwise deceive; or
Failure to provide complete and accurate information to the NCAA, the NCAA Eligibility Center or the institution's athletics department regarding an individual's amateur status.

All of these violations are similar in nature. They either involve some form of deception or knowing involvement in deception to gain a competitive advantage at the expense of the NCAA Bylaws. This is a good rule of thumb when determining whether any potential action will constitute a violation of this Bylaw - Am I trying to deceive someone, or am I helping someone in a similar deception? If there is a chance that this is the case, it is likely best not to proceed.

And of course, it never hurts to ask! If you have questions regarding a possible ethical conduct violation, contact the Compliance Office.

Gambling activities can be a violation of federal law and can result in a fine and/or Imprisonment.

It is a federal offense to influence or attempt to influence, in any way, a sporting contest by bribery. This statute covers not only the outright "throwing" of contests, but also "point shaving," and applies not only to the maker of the bribe, but also to the recipient of the bribe.
It is a Federal offense to make use of interstate facilities, including the telephone or mail, for the placing of an illegal bet.
A violation of these federal Laws may result in a fine up to $10,000 and/or imprisonment up to five years.