A Dangerous Game: NCAA’s Charlie Baker Raises Alarm over ‘Enormously Problematic’ Prop Betting

GLENDALE, Arizona — Before the men’s basketball championship game on Monday, NCAA President Charlie Baker stated that while the organization is still concerned about gambling in college sports, “we are kind of at the top of the first inning on this one,” especially when it comes to prop betting.

“Did any of you notice how much time was spent on cable TV about Caitlin Clark’s prop performance (after the) first (national semifinals) game leading into the second game?” Baker said. “Was that really what we should be talking about in the middle of a women’s Final Four? I think the answer for that for most people is no.”

Before Purdue and Connecticut faced off, Baker, who wrapped up his first year as NCAA president in March, spoke with reporters for around fifteen minutes. Regarding the women’s Final Four, he was enthusiastic and upbeat. He also talked about the steps the NCAA is doing to provide a better understanding of the name, image, and likeness landscape for college athletes and their families.

In a statement released in March, Baker announced that the NCAA is “drawing the line” to better protect athletes and the integrity of sports. Prop bets allow fans to bet on a player’s performance, such as how many rushing yards a football player gains or how many rebounds a basketball player grabs. They’re also a reason fans lash out at players for not reaching those numbers.

“The prop-betting piece is enormously problematic for student-athletes and I’ve had a lot of them say that to me,’’ Baker said, adding that the NCAA has helped persuade four states to eliminate prop betting and others to pass harassment legislation.

“It’s really important for us to recognize that this is going to be a challenging issue and we really need to take seriously the fact that student-athletes generally are surrounded by a huge percentage of their classmates and their schoolmates who bet on sports.”

In relation to NIL, Baker stated that the NCAA is developing a consumer protection package to aid athletes and their families in comprehending the NIL market. Additionally, it is building a forum for families to talk about NIL third parties and their reliability, akin to Yelp or Tripadvisor, according to Baker.

“I think this is the first step on our part to try and make sure that all the players in this space get held accountable and we do more to provide more transparency,’’ he said.

Baker expressed his happiness with the attention and television ratings the women’s basketball competition received. He cherished the rivalries and plots.

The national championship game between South Carolina and Iowa on Sunday attracted a record 18.7 million viewers on ABC and ESPN.

“Pretty, pretty, pretty good,” Baker said with a smile.

(Photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)