NCAA president urges state lawmakers to ban prop betting: 'Protect the integrity of the game'

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NCAA President Charlie Baker is doing his part to crack down on "sports betting issues," urging state lawmakers Wednesday to ban prop betting on college athletics. 

Amid a wave of gambling issues at both the collegiate and pro levels, Baker released a statement on social media urging states to ban prop betting, wagers placed on individual players' statistical performances during games. 

Charlie Baker, NCAA president and a former Massachusetts governor, is interviewed by Boston Globe Sports writer Chris Gasper at the Globe Summit 2023.  (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

"Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity of competition and leading to student-athletes and professional athletes getting harassed," Baker said.

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"The NCAA has been working with states to deal with these threats, and many are responding by banning college prop bets."

Several gambling scandals over the past year have likely contributed to the NCAA’s push to remove prop bets. In February, former Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon was assessed a 15-year ban for knowingly providing "insider information" to someone betting on a Crimson Tide baseball game in April 2023. 

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About two dozen Iowa and Iowa State athletes were criminally charged last year in a sports wagering case. Most pleaded guilty to underage gambling, while the case against four players was dismissed earlier this month. 

NCAA President Charlie Baker gives a television interview during