University of Texas Reports Five Betting Violations to NCAA

The University of Texas athletics department has self-reported five betting violations to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Documents obtained through a public records request by the Austin American-Statesman showed impermissible sports wagering between 11 July 2024 and 4 November 2024.

According to the report, two American football players, a non-student-athlete associated with the women’s tennis program, and an ‘uncategorized athletic department employee’ were the five found in violation of NCAA rules.

A total of $14,885.76 in wagers were made in violation. All bets were placed with PrizePicks, one of America’s largest dedicated daily fantasy sports operators. Although the specific bets are not specified, PrizePicks allows users to wager money on the statistical performance of athletes.

Under NCAA rules, players, coaches and staff are prohibited from wagering on any sport in which the NCAA sponsors a championship, including the top-tier professional leagues.

Texas University discovered the breaches in wagering rules through ProhiBet, a company that monitors betting activity at institutions. It checks students’ personal data, such as name, date of birth, email address, and mobile phone number, against data used to register with online sportsbooks and daily fantasy sports.

It only works with operators that work under state regulators. Given the nascent regulation around digital currencies, no crypto sportsbooks currently fit the bill. As such, there may be further incidents of student wagering that are not captured by ProhiBet’s system.

More Athletes Are Betting—NCAA Reports 100 Violations in 2024

The Austin American-Statesman contacted the NCAA and informed the publication that the number of self-reported violations doubled to approximately 100 in 2024 from 50 the year prior.

The Southeastern Conference has mandated that each of its 16 members implement ProhiBet’s technology solution. The company now provides its integrity solution to over 100 collegiate sports properties across the United States.

Scott Sadin, COO for IC360, which owns ProhiBet told the Statesman: “The administrator on the collegiate property side, in this circumstance, gets access to the information of the compliance professional at the sportsbook platform.”

“So, they’ll get an email of the person to then contact on the (sportsbook) platform side, and the person on the platform side gets the same information,” he continued.

Once ProhiBet has notified the institution, the two parties can investigate whether the wagers violate NCAA rules and regulations.

Varied Punishments for Texas Breaches

The Texas Athletic Department found that the student assistant had placed wagers on Texas Longhorns sporting events. Subsequently, the assistant’s role with the department was terminated. The other two non-student athletes found to be in breach received warnings and mandatory sports betting education.

Of the two American football players, one was first suspended from competition before then being reinstated. He paid the value of his winnings to a charity of his choice. The other football player admitted suffering from gambling-related harm, and had sought help from his parents to quit. He wagered $9,600 over 67 bets.

Two of the bets were placed on Texas’ basketball teams. However, he did not get hit with a penalty, as he had left the institution and stopped playing football. The department did provide additional wagering education in response.

Lori Hammond, Texas Senior Associate Athletic Director for Risk Management and Compliance Services commented: “The implementation of monitoring technology has been instrumental in helping us identify and prevent the behaviors. Prior to its implementation we solely relied on educational efforts as there was no means to monitor. Now the information we gain from monitoring has expanded our knowledge and significantly enhanced our educational content and also broadened the populations we educate.”