Has sports betting become too tempting for Fresno student-athletes? | Opinion

There is something troubling about the NCAA revoking the eligibility of former Fresno State basketball players Jalen Weaver and Mykell Robinson for gambling on college sports.

“Two of the student-athletes then manipulated their performances to ensure that certain bets were won,” the NCAA committee on infractions said, in its ruling, as Fresno Bee staff writer Robert Kuwada reported. “As a result, they violated ethical conduct rules, triggering permanent ineligibility.”

Former Fresno State basketball player Stephen Vasquez, who played last season at San José State, was also ruled ineligible.

The NCAA was correct in punishing the actions of the two basketball players. Between 2018 and 2023, the NCAA found 175 violations of its sports-betting policy ranging from $5 bets to providing insider information.

Players betting in sports, or trying to influence the outcome, undermines the integrity of the game. It ruins spectator belief that they are watching a clean competition with no outside forces determining its outcome.

The NCAA was notified in January by Fresno State and a sports betting integrity monitor of suspicious proposition bets placed on Robinson. The investigation discovered that Robinson “planned to underperform” in several statistical categories during a regular-season game.

Robinson, Vasquez and a third party bet $2,200 that Robinson would underperform and were rewarded with a $15,950 payout.

During the 2024-25 season, Robinson collected $618 on another occasion, according to NCAA enforcement staff.

“Notably, Robinson placed multiple bets on Weaver – who was Robinson’s teammate at Fresno State – including two bets placed before a game in late December 2024 after he and Weaver exchanged information about their respective betting lines,” the NCAA said. “As a result of that coordination, Weaver also placed a $50 prop bet on a parlay for himself, Robinson and a third student-athlete, and he won $260.”

The NCAA investigation absolved Fresno State of any wrongdoing.

Vazquez and Robinson also did not cooperate with the NCAA investigation. Fresno State suspended Robinson, a 6-foot-7 forward, from the team in January and later dropped him from the roster. Weaver, a 6-4 guard and the team’s leading scorer at the time, was subsequently kicked off the team in February.

NCAA wants to expand betting

It is rich that the NCAA cracks down on athletes breaking its anti-gambling rules while benefiting from the popularity of sports betting made legal in a 2018 Supreme Court decision. You can’t watch a sporting event without being bombarded by sports betting site commercials.

The NCAA can’t ban gambling commercials when their games are broadcast, but it does accept the dollars – $875 million in 2024 – from television broadcast payments and licensing. Sports betting ads contribute to that haul.

Sports betting sites constantly pop up on sports broadcasts, and announcers often tout the betting line. Online schedules of games include odds and additional information for bettors. You can place a sports bet on your cell phone in some states, but not in California thanks to voter rejection of a 2022 proposal.

Sports betting is a $13.71 billion industry, according to 2024 figures by the American Gaming Association. A 2023 study by the NCAA found that 67% of students living on campus are bettors, and that 41% of them have placed a bet on their school’s teams. Is it a surprise that college athletes are tempted to bet?

In June, the NCAA Division I Council foolishly proposed allowing student-athletes and staff members to bet on professional sports and focus its attention on enforcing its ban on college sports betting “and behaviors that directly impact game integrity.” The council will decide on the changes next month, and the change will be implemented only if Division II and III agree to allow betting on pro sports. Such a move would only serve as an entry point into gambling for student-athletes, and possibly lead to greater problems.

Lia Nower, director of Rutgers’ Center for Gambling Studies, said college sports bettors can experience financial distress, academic struggles and mental health issues. Colleges underestimate the negative impact sports betting can have on students.

“To address this growing crisis, increased education, and more specialized support services are needed to protect young people from the potential harms of gambling addiction,” said Nower.

Maybe it’s time the NCAA looks at its role in creating an environment where student-athletes are tempted to get a piece of the gambling pie.

This story was originally published September 12, 2025 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Has sports betting become too tempting for Fresno student-athletes? | Opinion."