Sports betting and eSports worry NCAA president

If you listen to NCAA President Mark Emmert, sports betting is a huge threat to his organization’s well-being. The Associated Press has reported on comments Emmert made at the NCAA’s annual convention in Orlando, Florida, and he continues to oppose legalized sports wagering, as well as the introduction of eSports to the college scene.

Emmert is specifically worried about the impact sports wagering will have on colleges. He said, “Sports wagering is going to have a dramatic impact on everything we do in college sports. It’s going to threaten the integrity of college sports in many ways unless we are willing to act boldly and strongly.”

The logic of how wagering could corrupt college sports is easy to deduce. If wagering on NCAA sports is offered, athletes could potentially make wagers on their own activities, which could potentially lead to match fixing. It’s a threatening problem specifically because the athletes are prohibited from earning profit from their play.

It’s also a very hypocritical stance from the NCAA. On average, an American college will earn $31.9 million yearly on their football team alone, none of which goes to the players. Even less popular sports, like women’s lacrosse, brings in $709,000 for the average college.