Sports Betting in Delaware Causes NCAA to Adjust Bylaws

NCAA officials took their balls and went home after a judge refused to block Delaware sports betting, passing a rule preventing playoff games from going to states with sports gambling.

Unable to prevent Delaware from instituting sports betting via legal mechanisms, the NCAA has taken a retaliatory approach by changing its rules to deny the state future hosting of playoff games. Under new rules approved by the NCAA Executive Committee, any state permitting single game gambling at any level forfeits any claim to NCAA games in post-season playoffs.

The official rule reads, "No predetermined or non-predetermined session of an NCAA championship may be conducted in a state with legal wagering that is based upon single-game betting (high school, college or professional) in a sport in which the NCAA conducts a championship.'"

The rule primarily affects the Delaware Blue Hens, who are often involved in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision race. This is the former Division I-AA, while the elite teams play in the Football Bowl Subdivision, which has no playoffs due to the need to control all revenue by the biggest schools.

Media sports analysts quickly reacted, pointing out the numerous hypocrisies in NCAA decisions.

"This sport operates on basically a slave labor system enriches coaches and schools, but worries about potential gambling influence because the actual players live in poverty," says OCA sports expert Edmund Crumley.

"Meaningless college games between minor schools are now played every night of the week and still draw ratings," notes Crumley. "The only reason ESPN will buy that package of games is to offer them to the vast audience of gamblers who will acquire an interest by placing bets on the otherwise nondescript game."

Delaware officials had pointed out that Las Vegas hosts a bowl game every year without NCAA objection, a note that NCAA reps tried to deflect by saying the bowl game did not determine a champion. It's not yet certain whether the Las Vegas Bowl will be a casualty of the new regulation.