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Charles Barkley has taken a strong stand against a new NCAA proposal that would allow college athletes to place bets on professional sports, calling the idea “a joke” and warning it could further damage the integrity of college athletics.
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Speaking at Auburn University’s Bruce, Barkley & Basketball Golf Classic, the NBA Hall of Famer questioned how anyone could believe the policy makes sense. He argued that legalizing any form of betting for student-athletes would blur the lines between professional and collegiate sports, creating more problems than it solves.
“These are the people we have running college sports, and we want to know why it’s a s–t show,” Barkley said. “Anybody who thinks that’s a good idea should have their head examined.”
Barkley said that allowing players to bet on professional games would make it harder for regulators to prevent athletes from crossing boundaries, including gambling on their own sports or campuses. “We’ve already got an issue with kids gambling now when they shouldn’t be gambling,” he said.
The NCAA proposal, currently awaiting review by Divisions II and III, seeks to loosen restrictions that prohibit student-athletes from wagering on any sporting events. While the measure would not permit betting on college games, critics like Barkley argue it opens the door to greater temptation and potential corruption.
Barkley’s comments come as the NCAA continues to deal with a string of betting scandals across college basketball. In mid-September, the organization revealed that 13 men’s basketball players from six universities — including Eastern Michigan, Temple, Arizona State, New Orleans, North Carolina A&T, and Mississippi Valley State — are under investigation for illegal gambling.
According to the NCAA, some players allegedly bet against their own teams, manipulated game outcomes, and shared insider information with outside bettors.
NCAA President Charlie Baker acknowledged that sports betting’s growth has brought new risks to integrity. “The rise of sports betting is creating more opportunity for athletes across sports to engage in this unacceptable behavior,” Baker said. “While legalized sports betting is here to stay, regulators and gaming companies can do more to reduce these integrity risks by eliminating prop bets and giving sports leagues a seat at the table when setting policies.”