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The NCAA is taking another step to protect student-athletes and improve transparency around college basketball. Starting with the 2026 Division I men’s and women’s basketball championships, teams will be required to submit player availability reports ahead of each game.
Good to Know
The new policy expands on what many Division I football conferences already implemented earlier this year—requiring weekly player status updates throughout the season. Now, the same integrity-driven standard will apply to March Madness, including the First Four matchups.
Teams will send player information directly to the NCAA twice before each game. The first update will be due the night before, followed by another just two hours before tip-off. Each athlete will be presumed healthy unless specifically listed as unavailable.
NCAA president Charlie Baker said the new process aims to limit the influence of sports betting on college sports and protect student-athletes from harassment tied to wagering outcomes. Baker said:
“After months of thorough discussion and exploration, I applaud the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Committees for taking such important action. Implementing player availability reporting is a major step to increasing student-athlete protections by alleviating pressures for the enhancement of their college experience.”
HD Intelligence, which already handles similar reporting systems for several NCAA conferences, will oversee the collection and verification of these availability updates.
According to the NCAA, the reports will serve as a pilot program during the 2026 tournaments, with the potential to expand into other collegiate championships if the rollout proves effective.
The push for greater integrity and athlete protection comes amid growing concern over sports betting’s impact on college players. Baker has previously urged regulators in multiple states to remove college player prop bets—a campaign that several jurisdictions have since acted on.
Recent NCAA data suggests progress. A new study found that while online abuse remains a serious concern, incidents of harassment and accusations of match-fixing have dropped 22% over the past year. The decline was most pronounced in women’s basketball, where players reported a sharp fall in threatening or abusive messages.
In a statement to ESPN, Clint Hangebrauck, NCAA managing director of enterprise risk management, said:
“The NCAA condemns all forms of online abuse and harassment. The results from this year’s study suggest that the NCAA’s multi-layered strategy of building public awareness, advocacy and forming collaborative relationships with third parties is having a positive impact and has enhanced our ability to combat abuse.”
It begins with the 2026 NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.
HD Intelligence will collect and manage reports from all participating teams.
The main goal is to protect players by limiting betting-related pressures and improving transparency for fans and teams.
Yes, the NCAA plans to evaluate the pilot program and may extend it to other championships based on its success.