In a nationwide shift, shaking the foundations of college sports, the NCAA has done what once seemed unthinkable, approving a sweeping betting policy change. This policy change will directly allow student-athletes and all athletic department staff members to place wagers or bets on professional sports.
The act will take effect beginning Nov. 1, and is guaranteed to mark a stunning shift in an organization that for decades has treated gambling as one of the gravest sins in sports.
According to ESPN, bets on college sports (including those involving one’s own team) remain strictly prohibited. Similarly, shared insider information, advertising of gambling at NCAA championships and other integrity violations still remain banned.
This decision follows years of increasing enforcement of wagering violations in collegiate athletics. The NCAA recently banned three men’s basketball players for betting on their own games, similar to Fresno State’s betting scandal.
For institutions like Fresno State, this change presents both opportunity and responsibility. On one hand, athletes and staff now have the opportunity to legally place bets on pros, which was originally an activity that was strictly “off-limits” under NCAA rules. On the contrary, the risk of gambling-related misconduct, especially those tied to campus athletic programs, remains incredibly high.
According to the NCAA, institutions and schools must provide enhanced educational resources to prevent problem gambling, misconduct and ensure the policy shift does not lead to any further compromised competition.
This means institutions will likely need to refine internal compliance programs like updating athlete/staff codes of conduct and remaining vigilant for red flags. Such red flags include unusual prop bets, insider information flows or any link between team performance and wagering patterns.
Here at Fresno State, the backdrop of sports-betting scrutiny is more than theoretical. During the 2024-25 men’s basketball season, Fresno State found itself facing a high-profile betting investigation.
Guards Zaon Collins and Jalen Weaver, along with forward Mykell Robinson, were all withheld from competition or completely removed from the roster amid the allegations of gambling violations. In a statement, Fresno State acknowledged players were “being withheld from competition as the university reviews an eligibility matter.”
For Robinson and Weaver, the allegations included placing daily fantasy sports bets on their own statistical performances in games they had played. For example, Weaver admitted having placed bets on himself to score over 11 points in a game against New Mexico (he scored 13).
Although he was sidelined initially, the report suggests Collins’ involvement was of a different nature, placing bets on professional sports, rather than his own team’s games. The NCAA’s statement later confirmed that both Robinson and Weaver (along with an anonymous third person who did not attend Fresno State), manipulated performances and provided information that allowed others to place bets.
Collins is not named in the NCAA’s lifetime-ban announcement, which suggests his case was handled differently. The other two, were both permanently banned from collegiate competition.
One report indicated Collins was under further investigation for allegedly betting on professional sports, not necessarily his own team’s games.
This local incident underscores the delicate line all institutions must walk with their athletics: allowing new freedoms while guarding against the very behaviors the amended rules aim to avoid.
Zaon Collins’ involvement matters for several key reasons when it comes to the new NCAA rule. To begin with, he was a top contributor, averaging 12 points and four assists prior to his suspension. Additionally, his case is somewhat distinct in the sense that although his teammates were allegedly betting on their own games (which directly impacts the integrity of those games). Collins reportedly was only under investigation for bets on professional sports.
While still prohibited by the NCAA rules, this is a different category, and arguably less direct in altering collegiate competition. The fact that Collins returned to play suggests that the university and the NCAA found a way or perhaps a loophole to clear him (at least for last season) in a way different than those permanently banned. This raises questions about consistency and transparency.
As the new NCAA rule takes effect in early November, Fresno State will have a unique vantage point and a cautionary tale compared to other institutions. With past investigations still fresh in memory on the basketball team, the university must work to maintain and strengthen athlete education and counseling on gambling risks, incorporate clear policies in student-athlete/staff handbooks and continuously monitor for integrity issues (especially in team sports where the prop-betting risk is higher).
Additionally, the university must dedicate itself to emphasizing the mantra that although professional-sports betting is now permitted, bets on college sports (and one’s own team) remain off-limits.
For Bulldog athletes and staff, the new NCAA rule will open new doors that were once slammed shut. However, it also raises stakes both institutionally and ethically.
As the new era of legalized betting dawns across the world of college athletics, the ground beneath athletics at Fresno State will tremble with both promise and peril. What once was forbidden, has now been sanctioned.
