College football media days reflect concerns over sports betting

The SEC and Big 12 Commissioners both commented on the challenges and negative impacts that sports betting has created for college sports.

Sports betting and the challenges it creates for college sports programs have been a hot topic at recent college football media days.

Both the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the Big 12 Conference held their media days earlier this month, while the Big Ten Conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) media days are scheduled for this week.

Both SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark addressed the impact of sports betting on college sports in their opening remarks, while some coaches and players chimed in on the topic as well. The collective sentiment of their comments reflects a growing need for greater regulation and oversight of gambling on college sports. In particular, both Sankey and Yormark expressed the need for greater protection of student-athletes.

Sankey reiterates need for protection of student-athletes

For the second year in a row, Sankey made a point of emphasizing in his opening remarks at SEC Media Days that states with legalized sports betting need to provide better protections for student-athletes.

Last year, Sankey noted that “We continue to hear more and more from our coaches and student-athletes about the increased level of abusive and threatening behavior online, often directed at them after someone involved in gambling activity ends up on the wrong side of a score or a game’s outcome.” He also mentioned that the problem can be even worse for game officials.

“The race for revenue is understandable, but states in the gambling industry have a responsibility to protect our participants from threats and from abuse,” he continued. “While some states have enacted laws protecting participants, all states, every state with legalized sports gambling, must act to ensure enforcement of gaming regulations and put in place clearly stated laws that protect participants from hostile behavior, particularly barring individuals who engage in that behavior from any further involvement in sports gambling.”

Sankey echoed a similar sentiment in his 2024 remarks, again emphasizing the need for greater regulation from lawmakers to protect student-athletes. “It’s not good enough for states just to allow legalized sports gambling. They owe protection to the participants,” he said. “The online and direct pressures that come from those who aren’t successful in their gambling decisions affect our participants in every state. Legalized sports gambling needs to put in place clearly stated laws that protect participants from hostile behavior.”

Referring to both sports betting and other impactful and rapidly evolving issues like name, image and likeness (NIL), Sankey emphasized that change needs to come from Congress on a national level.

“We’re not waiting for change to land in our laps. We have a responsibility to engage our Congressional leaders,” he said. “My ask again is that Congress continue not only to engage in conversation but help us resolve some of these outstanding issues and restore clear national standards for college athletics.”

Six of the 12 states with SEC schools have some form of legalized sports betting: Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. There are ongoing efforts to legalize sports betting in other states, most notably Texas, but legalization is not imminent in the other six SEC states (Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas).

Yormark pledges continued support, while Big 12 players downplay concerns

At Big 12 Media Days earlier this month, Yormark also briefly commented on the need for ongoing protections for student-athletes. 

“We will also continue to work with the NCAA to protect our student-athletes from the negatives that come with sports betting, especially prop bets,” he said.

Texas Tech football coach Joey McGuire downplayed any concerns that players would purposefully perform poorly because of pressure from sports bettors, telling Brigham Young University’s student-run news organization The Daily Universe that “They’re doing the best they can” and that “They have a lot invested in how hard they work.” 

Like Sankey and Yormark, McGuire expressed more concern with players receiving hateful comments. “I love the hate. I read everything. I’m a messed up person when it comes to that. It fires me up.” He tries to instill a similar attitude in his players, but acknowledged it can be tough for them.

Despite concerns from their leaders, most of the players interviewed downplayed any negative impact that sports betting has on them. 

“It’s something that you see but I don’t really pay too much attention to it,” Iowa State receiver Jayden Higgins said. “When you have the ability to go make plays and you don’t make plays, then of course people are gonna be mad. I’d be mad too,” Higgins added.

In the current environment with NIL money available to players, Texas Tech linebacker Bryce Ramirez instead focused on the positive that can come from sports betting. “It brings more viewership, and more viewership means more money for us,” he said.

Clearly, there are mixed feelings about the impact of sports betting on college sports. While some players publicly downplayed the negative impacts, Sankey’s and Yormark’s comments reflect that the issue is an ongoing concern.