NCAA fears crisis with gambling athletes

Adveritser Staff and Wire Reports

An NCAA gambling study showed 35 percent of male athletes and 10 percent of female athletes have bet on college sports in the last year, and Division III athletes are the most likely to gamble.

Division I athletes were the least likely to wager on college sports.

The study, called the National Study on Collegiate Sports Wagering and Associated Health Risks, surveyed 21,000 athletes about their gambling practices. The results were released yesterday in Chicago.

"The scope of sports wagering among intercollegiate student-athletes is startling and disturbing," NCAA president Myles Brand said in a statement. "Sports wagering is a double threat because it harms the well-being of student-athletes and the integrity of college sports."

At the University of Hawai'i-Manoa, every student-athlete is required to attend an annual class on the perils of gambling.

It was not known whether any UH student-athletes were a part of the survey, but former UH men's basketball player Jason Carter said he did not know of any UH student-athletes who may have bet on college sports during his two years on the Manoa campus.

"We all have to go to that class," he said. "So I think everybody knows it's wrong."

The study also showed 1.1 percent of football players reported taking money for playing poorly in games. While 2.3 percent of football players admitted they were asked to influence the outcome of games because of gambling debts, 1.4 percent acknowledged altering their performance to change the outcome.

Golfers, wrestlers, lacrosse and football players were the most likely male athletes to wager on college sports. Female athletes who gamble were more likely to compete in golf, lacrosse, basketball and field hockey.

In response to the findings, Brand chose Notre Dame president Rev. Edward A. Malloy to head a national task force that will analyze the results and recommend strategies to change gambling habits among athletes. American Football Coaches Association executive director Grant Teaff will be the task force's vice chair.

Expected recommendations may include expanding education efforts, changing NCAA rules and seeking new state and federal legislation.

The task force also will examine the study's findings on whether alcohol or drug use, which the surveyed athletes also were questioned about, may be indicators of gambling. Those results are still being analyzed.

NCAA officials said future studies may also be conducted to determine trends and determine the effectiveness of the governing body's policies and programs.

"The NCAA is taking a leadership role at the national level to address this problem among student-athletes before it reaches crisis proportions," Brand said.