NCAA strikes data and logo agreement with sportsbooks
The NCAA has entered an agreement that results in sharing data and logos for championship events with sportsbooks
The NCAA has tried to keep its distance from sportsbooks, but that's set to change. The NCAA will now share its data and logos for championship events to sportsbooks through an exclusive partnership with Genius Sports.
A breakdown of the agreement
What this agreement does is allow Genius Sports to supply data to sportsbooks while also allowing sportsbooks to have access to NCAA-affiliated logos. The agreement makes Genius Sports the exclusive distributor of official NCAA data feeds to sportsbooks that participate in an authorized gaming licensee program through 2032, according to the agreement. It's effectively a similar relationship to what professional sports leagues have with sportsbooks.
This agreement only impacts championship events and not regular-season games. The biggest impact with this deal will be seen with the annual college basketball tournament. The College Football Playoff will not be impacted as the NCAA is not in charge of that bracket.
The NCAA's relationship with sports betting
The relationship between the NCAA and the sports betting world has been a tricky one. Sports betting has blown up in recent years with more states not just legalizing it, but allowing online betting via mobile apps. States are receiving millions annually via taxes from sports betting, and sportsbooks are receiving a lot of profit as well. But the NCAA has had its worries when it comes to betting on college sports.
Legalized sports betting has resulted in allowing bettors to wager on game results, but prop betting has been a point of contention with the NCAA. Prop betting, which is where a bettor can wager on things such as whether a player will have more or less of a certain statistical category, isn't allowed in some states. The NCAA has called those wagers "risky bet types" as it can open players up to harassment.
According to Reuters, Genius Sports will supply sportsbooks with official game data "through an authorized gaming license, while 'limiting risky bet types,' and 'safeguarding student-athletes.'"
In a statement, NCAA senior vice president of external affairs Tim Buckley said that NCAA data will only be available to sportsbooks if they remove those "risky bets" from their platforms. Additionally, Buckley said the sportsbooks need to fully cooperate with the NCAA during investigations and "provide key information, including geolocation data and device records."
