Harassment Tied to Sports Betting Falls in March Madness, NCAA Reports

Sports betting-related abuse aimed at players, coaches, and officials dropped noticeably during the 2025 NCAA March Madness tournaments. According to new data from the NCAA and monitoring partner Signify Group, efforts to reduce harmful online behavior are showing some early results.

Good to know

• Abuse tied to betting fell 23% year-over-year during March Madness 2025.
• Threats aimed at women athletes dropped by 66% during the tournaments.
• NCAA launched a campaign called “Don’t be a loser” to combat harassment.

The study found that 15% of all online abuse during the men’s and women’s tournaments was tied to sports betting, a sharp drop from 42% in 2024. Betting-related abuse targeting women fell by 66%, and on the men’s side, it was down 36% despite a large rise in overall abuse.

Signify Group CEO Jonathan Hirshler said, “We have been encouraged to record a reduction in sports betting-related abuse and threats at the 2025 event, as this is often the trigger for the most egregious and threatening content we detect.”

AI technology helped Signify track over 2,700 social media accounts. It flagged more than 54,000 posts, and human reviewers identified 3,161 as abusive or threatening. The firm opened 103 investigations and sent 10 cases to law enforcement for further review.

Most of the backlash came after the tournament brackets were announced. Clint Hangebrauck, managing director of enterprise risk management at the NCAA, said many messages targeted the tournament committee, including chair Bubba Cunningham, North Carolina’s athletic director. Fans upset with teams being left out of the tournament directed harassment toward officials and staff.

Postseason coaching changes also contributed to a wave of online negativity. Fewer major upsets, particularly in the men’s tournament where all top seeds reached the Final Four, may have helped limit the level of aggressive reactions.

The NCAA has worked to counter these issues. In 2024, President Charlie Baker pushed for banning player prop bets at the college level. More recently, the organization launched a public awareness campaign, “Don’t be a loser,” aimed at encouraging fans to keep their behavior in check.

Baker noted, “From day one, it’s been a priority to study this issue, monitor the public interactions, protect student-athletes and allow them to focus on being students and competing at the highest level.”

Mississippi State player Chandler Prater spoke about the abuse she received after a game against USC. She credited the NCAA and Signify for helping her handle the situation.

Hangebrauck added that while there is progress, long-term solutions will need collaboration across many groups. “Online abuse isn’t an issue the NCAA can solve on its own, so it’s been critical to form strong relationships with a variety of stakeholders.”